Marsha F. Burke

Marsha F. (Littlewood) Burke of Quincy and Barnet, VT died on December 6, 2025. The beloved wife of 60 years to Donald W. Burke of Quincy and Barnet, VT. Loving mother of David Burke and his wife Jennifer of Weymouth, Kevin Burke of Barnet, VT, William Burke and his wife Stacey of Plymouth, Amy Rose and her late husband Mark of Dighton, Meaghan Proctor and her late husband Jeffrey of East Bridgewater, and Paul Burke and his wife MaLou of Taunton. Cherished grandmother to Samantha and Matthew Burke, Emily, Riley, and Jackson Burke, Brady, Benjamin, and Brooke Rose, Tucker Proctor, Ava, Nolan and Julian Burke.

Born in Quincy to Lillian and Robert Littlewood, she was the Head Cheerleader and a member of the Quincy High School Class of 1962. She was crowned Miss Quincy in 1963 and, in the process, met Donald. She was a dedicated secretary to Trygve Gundersen, M.D., and later to Lester Schindel, President of New England Sinai Rehabilitation.

She was a talented seamstress and knitter. She was a member of the Easton Garden Club and an Eucharistic Minister at Immaculate Conception Church in Easton. She loved books and theatre, especially musicals. Her New Year’s Eve parties were the stuff of legend, hosting a five-course meal for 30 people.

Her favorite place in the world was Harvey’s Lake, Vermont, and a lifelong dream came true when she and Donald were able to purchase the lakeside home, historically known as “the Shack” in 1999. She loved to float, take a sunset pontoon ride, and spend cocktail hour with friends and family. She loved antiquing in the back roads of Vermont and would lie to Donald about how much she spent at the antique store.

An only child, she was smitten the moment Uncle Teddy and his barbershop quartet absconded her to the kitchen pantry and serenaded her with “The Way You Roll Your Eyes.”

She lived for her six kids, despite her formal dining room being perpetually filled with laundry and her constant motto, “We can’t have anything nice.” She was known throughout the neighborhood as Mrs. B or "Mumma B," and at any given moment, there were 15 friends roaming the house or swimming in the pool. All were welcome, and she made a home for everyone who came to visit. She was the consummate “Mama Bear,” helping, protecting, and aiding her kids in every imaginable way. Mum, we love you and will miss you every day. You have set a standard for all of us to strive for.

Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to greet the family during visiting hours on Wednesday, December 17th, from 4:00 to 8:00 PM at Keohane Funeral Home, 785 Hancock St., Quincy. A Celebration of Life Service will be held in the funeral home at 9:15 AM on Thursday, December 18th, prior to the Funeral Mass in Sacred Heart Church, 386 Hancock Street, North Quincy, at 10 AM. Cremation will follow. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Marsha may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, 320 Nevada Street, Suite 201, Newton, MA 02460, or online at https://donorservices.alz.org/login?form=FUNXAHXKQNE.