Kitty's Journey

02/04/2024

Congratulations son! Proud of you and your accomplishments.

02/07/2023

Kitty's very dear and longtime friend Rita, has passed away and joined Mom. They had known each other since nursing school, and Mom spoke of her often.

Celebrate the life of Rita Duncan, leave a kind word or memory and get funeral service information care of .

01/11/2023

I think of you daily Mom, and cherish the memories & experiences. You touched so many lives.
Scott

06/29/2021

View Catherine Gene "Kitty" Burke's obituary, send flowers and sign the guestbook.

06/12/2021

More details coming together:
A memorial mass will be said by Fr. Jim Curran at the Basilica of St. Mary in Norfolk, Virginia on Tuesday, July 6 at 11 AM. We're looking forward to this celebration of her life. (Virginia is expected to end all COVID restrictions the end of June.)

05/29/2021

FINAL ARRANGEMENTS ARE TAKING SHAPE.

We are building the rest of the schedule, but for anyone who wants to bookmark the date FRIDAY JULY 2 our family will be taking Mom home for the last time.
Inurnment of her cremated remains will be conducted in Calvary Cemetery, Youngstown, OH at noon on FRIDAY JULY 2 2021.

ALL ARE WELCOME

Please RSVP to info@moonlightmarine.com so I have a headcount; there will be a light reception following either at her nephew Paul's house in nearby Canfield, or another as yet to be determined location depending upon response.
The celebration of life party is likely to roll over into Saturday July 3 in McDonald Ohio, her birth home; all are welcome again but headcount is still pretty important.

As the weekend schedule is further prepared, updates will be posted here or directly communicated if I've been provided your contact information.

PS There appears to be at least three operating nearby skydiving outfits ... Mom can't go (unless someone carries her cremains before burial, which our children are trying to figure out and actively plotting around), but we all can!

01/23/2021

I'm still figuring out facebook. Or not. I hacked Susan's page early this morning (combating the insomnia) and saw somewhere, someone, had baked cookies and tagged their friend Kitty.
Scott had found it and "liked" the picture; but now I can't find the post anymore...
THANK YOU, to whomever posted.
Tag this page, link it all together.
I know I've been quiet. I know you all understand. Thank you for the cards, calls, and well wishes.
But yes, I'm down in a bit of a hole, recuperating from the exhausting journey, and doing I guess as well as could be expected?
There was a cremation to attend to this week, as well as a funeral for the priest Father John Ryan that officiated my confirmation.
When we feel aimless, or pointless; eventually we look up, and see that new star in the sky. And get our bearings again. I know you're all going through a bit of it yourselves, and am pleased to be on the journey with you.
I made 5.5 GALLONS of her lasagna/meat sauce last week. Four gallons remain; this weekend we assemble the lasagnas. Just haven't gotten to the cookies yet, so keep posting those pictures and tagging this page.
Thank you all again for everything.
- DAVID

01/11/2021

11 January 2021
Mom, Kitty, has completed her journey. Be assured she is at peace, at rest, and celebrating in her new life.
Details on remembrance masses or celebrations of her life have not yet been established.
Scott & Fonda, David & Susan

01/07/2021

From Suzanne S. Owens:
Dear friends of Kitty’s...
I am posting this with her son, David’s knowledge.
Kitty is now resting as comfortable as possible at David, Susan’s and their 5 children’s home, in Louisiana, on Hospice.
As you can imagine the days are quite challenging and being dedicated to her every need.
So as to not take time away from Kitty, David will not be making regular posts on FB. If, however, you would like to share a story or memory of/with Kitty, please do so on this site. David or one of her family members will read it to her.
Please remember our dear Kitty and ALL her family members with thought and prayer as they walk this sad path of Glioblastoma brain cancer with her.
Many thanks and God Bless you for your support of the Burke family.

12/25/2020

Mission accomplished

Cleanup the living room please!

Merry Christmas y'all

12/25/2020

Flash update: it didn't happen the way we planned, but it happened nonetheless. She's home.

Also a story of the carrot versus the stick, and no we never had to use the stick. Or WHERE THERE'S A WILL, THERE'S A WAY

After a full day of "unable" to get out of bed, I "believed" that in & out of the truck then ascending the stairs to the house couldn't happen. So we ordered an ambulance ☹️.

When I got back to the hospital after 3PM mass, she was not dressed and ready for her ride as had been arranged. She said no one had come to help; they said she refused...

Well now it's time to go and she still wanted a shower there or here. Realizing "there" was easier, and with transport enroute; all the sudden your prayers hit, the fires got lit, and I got her in the shower! The nurses were amazed. I think she just wanted a shower before seeing the grandkids!

Shower done, loaded, and to the house. Strapped to a backboard up the stairs and in bed. Oh, what's this, CHRISTMAS COOKIES? She performed a magic trick and made two disappear in short order. Hospice nurse showed up for intake interview as PD & ambulance left.

(The PD showed up just because there was an ambulance in town he wasn't aware of. I let him know it was a delivery not a pickup, and paid both he and the EMT's with thick slices of Ms Wendy Brown's chocolate chip Bundt cake.)

Change of location, change of scenery, two Christmas cookies and a remarkable change of attitude! Up and out of bed twice to the bathroom in 2-1/2 hours; which is also 2 trips more than in any of the last four days.
Second trip rewarded with a cup of tea and slice of the aforementioned chocolate chip Bundt cake!

Now a nap before midnight mass online from the Norfolk Basilica!

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

12/24/2020

Merry Christmas Eve.

I thought about getting all you prayer warriors started on this last night, but Mom expressed such confidence I waited.

Our timeless and boundless God can work miracles under any circumstances; and today she needs His help and yours too.

The doctors want her to go home. Of course, so do we! That really resolves a lot of conflicts for us tomorrow, if we can get her home today.

It won't be easy; but life often isn't. Please PRAY PRAY PRAY for her to push through the standing part and walking part. John 5:8 comes to mind.

We walked into this hospital, and to and from the bathroom numerous times, just last Sunday. Docs, OT, PT have all been pushing her to get back on her feet . . . but sometimes resistance can be a devil. Graciously, all devil's can be cast back in the pit from which they originate.

So RISE UP AND WALK Mom!

(like I told a friend yesterday, three or four days in bed is only good for honeymooners!)

Thanks for the gift of your prayers.

-David