Marlene Joyce Burgess (neé Peterson) was born on August 4th, 1935 in Moose Jaw, SK. She died very peacefully after a short illness in hospital at the age of 88 years on August 9th, 2023 in Vancouver, BC.
Marlene will be lovingly remembered by Mervyn Burgess, her devoted husband of nearly 68 years; her children Jeff (Danita) of Vancouver, BC, her daughter Christy Wong (Stewart) of Vancouver, BC, her daughter Cathy Seiben (Rick) of Gibsons, BC; her grandchildren Jesse (Amanda), Stephanie (Pano), Danielle, Annika, Anneliese, Jessica (Chris) and Emma; her great-grandsons Evan and Bennett; her brother Aubrey of Toronto, ON, her brother Marvin (Marilyn) of Kamloops BC, her sister Sharon of Roseville, CA, and her brother Grant (Loyola) of Calgary, AB. Sharing their loss are her many cousins and nieces and nephews across Canada, the USA and the UK, as well as many close and loyal friends, some of whom were life-long friends.
She was predeceased by her son Dale in 2014, her father Lynn Peterson in 1995, her mother Marj Peterson (neé Brandon) in 2000, and her brother Garth in 1974.
After their marriage in Moose Jaw, SK on September 10th, 1955, Marlene and Mervyn made their first home together in Moose Jaw, moving to Saskatoon, SK in the early 1960’s where they brought up their family. They moved to Gibsons, BC in 2015 to be closer to their children, and moved to Vancouver in the fall of 2022.
Marlene was at the heart of a large and loving family, all of whom she nurtured and cared for. She was famed for her amazing baking, was a crossword whiz and a gifted seamstress. She had a beautiful singing voice and loved music; she had a great sense of humour, sharp wit, and loved to laugh. Marlene and Mervyn made their home a welcome and inclusive place for all their friends and family; Marlene would often say “Room in the heart, room in the home”. She had a strong Christian faith and was a devoted member and contributor to the Lutheran churches she attended in Saskatoon and Sechelt.
A small service will be held at the Living Faith Lutheran Church in Sechelt, BC in the future (which will be live-streamed), the details of this are to be determined. Her resting place will eventually be in the family cemetery at Bethany Lutheran Church in Parkbeg, SK.
Anyone who wishes to send condolences to the family can do so by email - jeff_burgess@telus.net.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the St. Paul’s Foundation, which supports Mount St. Joseph’s Hospital where Marlene was cared for so well over the last year, or to the charity of your choice in Marlene’s name.
