Marie B. Burr

Burr, Marie B., 97, ended a long and blessed life on April 6, 2008. She will be sorely missed by her four children and their spouses: Frank Jr. and his wife Grace, Peter and his wife Jan, Carol and her husband Roger, and Bradford and his wife Harriett. She will also be missed by her 10 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren. There will never be a more capable, committed, and loving wife, mother, and community member. Born on October 3, 1910 in Jersey City, New Jersey to Marie and Samuel Barnitt, she lived a Little Women life with her two older sisters-Phyllis and Carolyn-and her younger brother Sam. She graduated from Hasbrouck Heights High School in 1927 and from New Jersey State Normal School in 1930. After receiving her state certification, she taught elementary school in Hackensack for seven years. She married Frank W. Burr, also of Hasbrouck Heights, in 1934. He was a Vice President at Chase Manhattan Bank and very active in community affairs. The family moved to Teaneck in 1943 and fell in love with the town. As an active member of the Teaneck United Methodist Church, Marie held many offices. One that meant a great deal to her was her role as founding president of Church Women United. Started in 1948 and made up of women from nine Teaneck and two Bogota churches, the organization started International Student Day and collaborated on senior housing, child care services, Teaneck Community Chest, and Starfish-a phone tree of drivers to help the housebound get to doctor’s appointments and other needed services. Her most recent commitment, in which she took great pride, involved her role as a member of the Teaneck Senior Citizens Housing Association Board of Trustees. Marie learned at her mother’s knee how to love and serve, the value of putting others’ needs before one’s own and helping those within arm’s reach. She developed the gift of making people feel loved and was loved in return. Her skills as a speaker, writer, and leader meant she often was tapped to run her volunteer organizations, and she was an indispensable helpmate to her husband when be became president of the Teaneck Board of Education and later mayor. He always credited her with making space for joy in his seriousness. When he developed Alzheimer’s, she committed herself to his full time care at home until he died in 1992. To her children and their children, she was, above all, the mother all children want and deserve. Her love was constant, intelligent and encouraging. She understood positive reinforcement and benign neglect, guiding when they needed it, stepping aside when they needed to express their independence. For this miracle, her children are eternally grateful. May her spirit be at rest, knowing that it always reached toward the faith and works she came to know through her mother. We hope that spirit continues through future generations. A celebration of her life will be held at Teaneck Methodist Church, 201 DeGraw Avenue on April 19th at 11AM. Reception to follow at the church. Interment on Fishers Island, NY at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Teaneck United Methodist Church, 201 DeGraw Avenue, Teaneck, NJ 07666 or Fishers Island Union Chapel, PO Box 192, Fishers Island, New York 06390.