Mary Ann Burke's Obituary
Mary Ann (Sharshan) Burke, 79, of Akron passed away on December 18 at Summa City Hospital in Akron. Calling hours will be held at the Sharer Stirling-Skivolocke Funeral Home in Alliance on Wednesday, December 21, from 5:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. with a rosary following at 8:00 P.M. A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Alliance at 10:00 A.M. on Thursday, December 22 with burial to follow at St. Joseph's Cemetery. Born in Youngstown on July 14, 1932, Mrs. Burke lived the majority of her adult in life in Alliance. She graduated from East High School in Youngstown and attended Youngstown State University. Mrs. Burke was very active with her church and in the community. A dedicated member of St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Alliance, she was a member of the Women's Guild, Catholic Women's Club, and the Bereavement and Hope Committee. A Woman of the Year honoree for her parish, she also was a Eucharistic Minister and with her late husband, Jere, served as Marriage Preparation Mentors for 20 years. She was also a member of the Knights of Columbus Auxiliary organization and initiated the Red Cross cookies project for blood drives. Most notably, she was founder of the Alliance Carnation Festival Week Nursing Home Ice Cream Socials and for her efforts, was, along with her husband, awarded the Ben S. Favazzo Sr. and Patrick H. Jeswold Founder's Award for their outstanding dedication to the Carnation City Festival and to the community of Alliance. Mrs. Burke was also a member of St. Hilary Catholic Church in Akron for the past five years. Her hobbies included reading, crafts, gardening, baking, attending the activities of her grandchildren, and avidly watching sporting events. Mrs. Burke was preceded in death by her husband, Gerald P. Jere Burke, in 2009. She also was preceded in death by her parents, Joseph and Catherine Garchar Sharshan; by brothers Eddie, John, and Nick Sharshan; and by sister, Louise Shary. She is survived by her daughter, Susan Marie Burke of Dublin and sons, Gregory Scott (Susu) of Natchitoches, Louisiana, Richard William of Akron, and Gerald Michael (Jill) of Hudson. Mrs. Burke also leaves nine grandchildren - Catherine Jean Burke of Natchitoches; Joseph, Nicholas, Abigail, and Nathaniel Gerald Burke of Akron, and their mother, Tracy Burke; Pacifique Niyonzima of Hudson; and Kelly (Chicago, IL), Maria, and Anthony Santa-Emma of Dublin. She also is survived by sisters Helen Sharshan of Youngstown and Frances Viggiano of New Castle, PA and sister-in-law Mary Sharshan of Youngstown. Also surviving her are brother-in-law William Burke of Poland, sister-in-law Betsy Mitchell of Austintown, and cousin of her late husband, Mary York (Ed) of Canfield., along with 12 nieces and nephews. Mrs. Burke will always be remembered as a loving and caring housewife whose goal was to tirelessly live each day to its fullest for her husband and children. She will forever be admired for her courageous battle with rheumatoid arthritis that extended over the final 35 years of her life yet never deterred her from serving her family, her church, and her community. Most importantly, she taught her children to care about others before caring about themselves and lived her Christian faith every day of her life. The family extends its gratitude to the physicians who cared for her over the years, especially Dr. William Wilke at the Cleveland Clinic; Dr. Richard Hofacker, DPM; family physician Dr. Michael Gedeon, and most recently, Dr. William C. Wojno at the Crystal Arthritis Center in Akron. Pallbearers will be grandsons Joseph, Nicholas, and Nathaniel Burke and Pacifique Niyonzima and friends of the family, John Admonius and Nick Tronolone.
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