Thursday, April 14, 2016
It is with great sadness that we try to express what Gwen meant to the Burke family.
We will miss the STM sporting events, 5:15 Saturday Mass, the K of C pancake breakfasts, and DPAC season tickets that Gwen shared with us but this current pain cannot erase the many wonderful memories.
Gwen taught all 3 of our children and helped instill in them her deep and rich life values. Not one just to confine her interest to teaching only, she followed the Burke kids through high school at Cardinal Gibbons attending all three graduations and then further following their lives through 2 weddings.
Her commitment to her students was remarkable and much deeper than just the commonly cited 30 year teaching tenure. We remember her efforts in working with STM parents to establish a middle school when the idea was not being warmly embraced by the Pastor at that time. After the eventual agreement to establish the STM Middle School, Gwen then was a pivotal force in the startup and taught there until her passing. Gwen's impact on the lives of hundreds of students that she taught and thousands that she interacted with will live on for generations.
Our thoughts are with Charlie, Joe, Jeanne, and Ed, and Gwen's grandchildren, Scott, Wendy, Sophie, JJ, and Noah as they go through this difficult time but it should be recognized that they are the living proof of the value of a life well spent.
The Burke Family
Karen, Brian, Brandon (1999), Gary (2001), and Colleen (2007)
