Obituary of Margie Jean Burke

Margie Jean Russo Burke, beloved wife, mother, and grandmother, entered eternal life on February 20, 2024; she was 90 years old. Born on December 21,1933, to parents who fled the Great Depression in Colorado for the promise of agricultural work in California, Margie spent her youth growing up on the family farm near Moss Landing. She attended elementary school in a one-room schoolhouse in little Elkhorn, California, with her sisters Catherine and Maxine and her brother Thomas. She took the bus into Salinas for high school, then attended Hartnell Junior College and California State University San Jose where she earned a bachelor’s degree in education. Her parents, both of whom worked early to support their families, were immeasurably proud of their childrens’ educational accomplishments.

Margie’s childhood was full of joy — animals galore, her parents’ incredible flower and vegetable gardens, hard work in the fields, church devotions, laughter and competition with her sisters, lots of reading and listening to the radio and gatherings with neighbors and friends. She met the love of her life, Hector, in high school, but they didn’t start dating until college. Margie and Hector would go on to have six children: Linda (married to Thomas Dooling); Hector (married to Napha Nantana); George (married to Monica Tamayo); Julie, who passed away in 1989; David (married to Madeline Mendoza); and Paul (married to Maria Carnevale). Margie and Hector moved almost 20 times together before they reached their final home close to where they began, in Salinas, California, in a little house with their son David caring tenderly for them, surrounding them with the roses and sunflowers and wildflowers they knew in their youth. 

Margie loved being a mother. She often told us that it all was so much easier with many children, because we entertained one another. All of us felt special and seen because of her loving gaze and actions. She nurtured our love of nature with rivers and oceans and forests; she ensured that we always had books to read, music to play, and games from Scrabble to baseball to hone our strengths. She talked about real issues and ideas: politics and religion were not topics to avoid in our home. Her ideals — formed by the gospels, the Catholic social justice movement, and the labor movement — remained clear all of her life. She was greatly influenced by her mother’s history of early loss, so she worked hard to keep us close to our grandparents, aunties, and cousins, and that meant so much to all of us as we moved around the country. Our childhood was rich, not with money, but with love and an abundance of family time.

Margie was a dedicated teacher. For her, that meant delivering effective instruction and getting her classes to improve by at least one grade level; she developed a confidence and competence that allowed her to be flexible with whatever current trend the educational establishment was pushing. For example, when she saw students struggling to learn to read with a solely “whole language” approach, she provided lessons in phonics, even though it annoyed her administration. She had real respect and affection for her students and their families, as well as deep friendships with some of her colleagues. In California and Michigan, we watched her develop plans, carry them out, and grade never-ending stacks of papers; she was professional, responsible, and warm, and we were proud of her skill. 

When she became a grandmother at 60, she was openly thrilled. In fact, she immediately retired so that she could provide whatever support might be needed, from out of state visits to weekly babysitting to a magic box that held some sweet surprise whenever a grandchild came to her home. Carmel, Camille, Casandra, Maria, Anna, Lysandra, Marcus, and Marjie held her heart completely. She had many adventures, trips, and experiences with all of her beloved grandchildren, and we know they will not lack for memories of her love and interest. Later in life, she was blessed with a love for a special dog, Daisy. If you were lucky, you might have heard her croon lullabies to Daisy at night, sweetly singing and petting her to sleep.

Mom’s voice was beautiful, and we loved to hear her sing. She was artistically gifted in so many ways. She was a natural artist, loving pencil sketches and watercolors best. She played piano gracefully and with feeling, and liked to sing and play hymns. She could sew and taught herself to quilt. She designed gorgeous holiday tables, just like her parents. We will always remember Advent: the purple, the candles, the evergreen boughs, her voice singing O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.  She wrote family histories and shared them with all of us. She created a beautiful environment for the whole family, in all of the many places she lived and through all of the seasons of her life.

If family was the central pillar of Margie’s life, faith was the foundation. Through all of her troubles and challenges, including the early death of her daughter Julie, Margie remained a deeply faithful Roman Catholic, strengthened and renewed again and again by her enduring belief in God, his Son, his Spirit, our Holy Mother, and the communion of saints. She shepherded all of us through the sacraments, even teaching Catechism classes for her grandchildren; she attended mass as long as she was able; she sang for years in the choir; she delivered the sacraments to the sick and the homebound. She prayed often. In particular, she loved the peace and comfort offered to the faithful through Our Lady's rosary. We know that she resides in heaven, reunited with her husband Hector, with her daughter Julie, her sister Maxine and brother Thomas, her parents August and Margaret — but oh, how we will miss her beauty, grace, and loving smile. Even in the last year of her life, when she dealt with the aftermath of a serious stroke and the death of her beloved Hector, her smile could warm our hearts. 

We will lay Margie and Hector to rest at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Sacramento, California, on April 20 at 3 PM, with a brief ceremony and readings from the Bible: 6509 Fruitridge Road, Sacramento, CA, 95820.  Afterward, we will gather to celebrate Margie’s life at her granddaughter Anna’s West Sacramento home. Please feel free to join us as we share memories of our beautiful mother and grandmother. Masses will be said for the repose of the souls of both our parents, including the following:

The church where Margie and Hector’s children were confirmed and where Margie ministered in the choir and through sharing communion with the home-bound:

Presentation of the Blessed Virgin, Sacramento, California, on Saturday, May 4, at 8:00 AM

Linda’s church, St. Mary of Celle in Berwyn, Illinois: to be determined

The church Margie loved when first returning to California after her Arizona sojourn: Holy Family Catholic Church, in Citrus Heights, California, on Sunday, April 21, at 8:00 AM. If you will be in town for Margie’s Celebration of Life, we encourage you to attend this mass the next day.

The church from her final home: Sacred Heart, Salinas, California on Saturday, April 13 at 5 PM and Saturday, April 20 at 5 PM

The church where Margie and Hector were married and where they celebrated their 60th anniversary with vow renewals: Our Lady of Refuge, Castroville, California, on Sunday, July 28, at 10 AM

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Margie Burke, please visit Tribute Store