Mary Catherine Burke was born on September 4th, 1955 in East St Louis, Illinois to Natalie Ann and John Edward Burke. In 1956 the family relocated to Tampa, Florida where Mary lived until 2019. A lifelong learner, Mary earned two master’s degrees, one from the University of Florida in 1982 and another from the University of South Florida in 2000. Mary began her career as a History Teacher at Mulberry High school in 1978 before working for the Teen Parent Program at MacFarlane Park Center. In 1989 she gave birth to her daughter and only child, Natalie Marie Burke. She spent the next portion of her career as an itinerant health science teacher in the Hillsborough County School district educating high school students about safe sex practices and the prevention of the spread of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. For the final 13 years of her career she worked as a Guidance Counselor, first at Middleton High School and then Gaither High School, from which she retired in 2015. In 2019 she moved to Port Townsend, Washington where she joined multiple clubs and became an enthusiastic hiker. 

Mary loved staying active and was always eager to start new adventures. In college she spent multiple semesters studying abroad in Utrecht, Netherlands where she grew closer to her mother’s extended family in Germany. In her 20s she ventured into the sea becoming a passionate scuba diver, and in her 60s into the mountains becoming an avid hiker. She was a compassionate and creative individual who loved the wonders and diversity of the world. Even beyond her altruistic career choices Mary volunteered with many organizations throughout her life including the Hillsborough Education Foundation, and multiple mentorship programs including Big Sisters of America. She was a creative soul who loved writing novels, short stories, and poetry in her spare time. As a mother she was an inspiring role model of independence and strength and shared an incredible bond with her daughter, Natalie. Together, they traveled across the world to places such as Egypt, China, Japan, India, multiple countries in Europe, locations spanning the entire United States, and many more. Of all the joys in the world, one of her favorite pleasures was sharing a conversation over lattes with her daughter. 

Mary is preceded in death by her father John and mother Natalie. She is survived by her daughter Natalie Burke and son-in-law Keenan Sieg, aunt Catherine van Deven, uncle Joe Petrowsky, and countless friends.

Memorial Donations may be made to the National Park Foundation: https://give.nationalparks.org/site/Donation2?df_id=1621&mfc_pref=T&1621.donation=form1