Dorothy E. Burke

Dorothy Burke was the daughter of Hedley & Annie Norris, immigrants from Cornwall, England. Dorothy was born on March 5th 1928, in Highland Park, MI. Dorothy had a happy childhood, including attending St. Paul’s Methodist Church in Highland Park, MI. At St. Paul’s Dorothy met & married Erick Carne. They had three children: Michael Carne, Cheryl (Don) Mandeville & Gary (Robin) Carne. Sadly, Dorothy lost son, Michael in 2007 at age 54 to cancer. We know they are reunited now. “Grandma Dot” had four biological grandchildren: Callie (Bill) Kane, Christine (Matt) McCormick, Shane (Maria) Carne and Joel (Ainsley) Carne. Dorothy was so proud that all of her grandchildren obtained college degrees, are happy & our healthy in life. Dorothy was Great Grandma “G.G.” to Lucy, Bailey, Brinley, Aubree & William. To her delight, these great-grandchildren were born 5 years in a row! Dorothy was a member of Rosedale Gardens Presbyterian Church since 1956. Among many jobs, she did at Rosedale, she was a beloved Sunday School teacher for many years. At Rosedale, she met her second husband, Carl Burke. With this marriage, Dorothy become stepmom to Carl jr. (Rose) Burke, Mark (the late Jane) Burke, the late Helen Bobrowski, John (Starr) Burke, and the late David Burke. Dorothy was happy also to become Grandma to all the Burke grandkids, who loved her dearly, as she did each of them. Although many live out of state, they all kept in touch with Dorothy. All the calls, flowers, gifts, cards & visits from her step family meant so much to her! Dorothy was an only child but her cousins Tom, Margie & Georgina and her sister-in-law, Barbara were like siblings to her & remained close all their lives. Dorothy earned an LPN degree from the Shapero School of Nursing. She worked in the Cardiac Care Unit at Garden City Hospital. She took pride in being a compassionate nurse. At age 85, Dorothy moved to the Marycrest Senior Living Campus in Livonia, where she had many wonderful friends, including her former neighbor & best friend, Marilyn Symons. Our family would like to thank the staff residents of Marycrest who befriended her. Many would visit her when she moved next door to the skilled nursing center. To honor Dorothy’s 90th birthday, her family gathered for a a weekend at the Bavarian Inn in Frankenmuth MI. There we accomplished her goal of getting her in the hot tub & swimming with the grandkids. Dorothy was a kind & generous-to-a-fault lady. She was very thoughtful towards anyone from a dear friend, to a stranger in a waiting room. She always believed that everyone should be treated equally. It bothered her when she felt someone was being slighted, bullied or left out. One of Dorothy’s favorite sayings was, “I’ve been blessed with good health”. This was true until her latter years when eyesight & memory issues set in. But even in the confusion she experienced, the core kindness that was Dorothy showed through. Mom, your family thanks you for the wonderful life you gave us & the example you set that made us decent & happy people. We always teased you about how much you talked, but we will miss your sweet voice now. As evidenced in your grandchildren, your legacy is passed down & lives on. Until we meet again, Rest in Peace sweet lady, you’ve earned it, well done Dorothy, well done! Memorial Contributions may be directed to Rosedale Gardens Presbyterian Church: RGPC Deacons Fund 9691 Hubbard, Livonia, MI 48150 or Seedlings Braille Books for Children, P.O. Box 51924, Livonia, MI 48151. A Family Memorial Service will be planned at a later date. Please share a memory of Dorothy on her tribute wall. https://www.tributeslides.com/tributes/show/YXZRD7D59HTB33S4