November 12, 1930 – December 25, 2022

Mary Eloise Burke passed away on December 25, 2022, at Barton Skilled Nursing Facility in South Lake Tahoe, after 92 years of a fulfilling life.
Though born in Tucson, Arizona, she moved with her family to San Diego, California as a baby girl. They lived there in North Park until her 1947 marriage to Thomas J Burke and starting her own family in Spring Valley.
When Mary’s children were young, the phrase “stay-at-home-mom” didn’t exist, wives were at home with the children and husbands worked. And Mary was an exceptional wife and mother who cared deeply for her family and was proud of doing so. After her 1963 divorce she never remarried, but continued to be a source of strength, and laughter and joy.
With a 1981 move to South Lake Tahoe, Mary worked at the Harrah’s Casino until retirement, enjoying her role interacting with a variety of people.
Also an avid gardener with a green thumb, Mary loved watching her flowers grow, and would say, “there’s nothing more precious than the face of a pansy.” She took the time to admire and share the tiniest detail of her world. Her broad interests included a deep love for the ocean, nature, animals, science, and camping with her family.
Mary is survived by her six children Eileen, Kathleen, Susan, Thomas, and Robert; as well as 13 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
If you were lucky to know Mary, her sense of humor and contagious laughter, raise a coffee cup in loving memory. She will live on in our hearts forever.
The family will celebrate her life privately as she wished.