Burke, Bridget T.,(Jordan) “Bridie”, passed away peacefully at her home in Duxbury, MA on December 27. She was surrounded by her loving family and filled with her faith—as she was in her life. A special mother, sister, aunt, friend and volunteer, Bridget was a strong woman with a generous spirit. There was never a time when she put herself above others. She was born in Ireland and raised in Swinford, in the County of Mayo, to Norah (nee Cavanagh) and Michael Jordan, who was a farmer. At 18, seeking opportunity, she sailed the Saxonia to the United States where she lived and worked in Philadelphia. She met Thomas Burke, a mason by trade, at a community dance in Philadelphia and they discovered that they grew up within 15 miles of each other in County Mayo, Ireland. On June 1, 1963, Bridget Jordan married Thomas Burke at St. Benedict Church in Philadelphia. Bridget was extraordinarily proud of her three children. An active participant in Holy Family Church activities, she was a member of the Women’s Club, an advisor to the CYO youth group and a CCD teacher for many years. She had a soft spot for the developmentally disabled and worked at St. Coletta Day School in Braintree, MA and later with the Open Roads program at Road to Responsibility in Hingham, MA. She enjoyed her simple pleasures, like basking in the sun, trips to Duxbury Beach, excursions to Atlantic City and listening (every Saturday) to “The Irish Hit Parade” on WROL-AM radio, Boston. Her husband Thomas and daughter Linda Marie Burke passed before her. Bridget is survived by her sons, Michael Thomas Burke (wife Christine) and Thomas Joseph Burke, her sisters, brother and multiple nieces and nephews.
Visiting hours will be at the MacDonald Funeral Home, 1755 Ocean Street, Marshfield, MA on Monday, January 2, 2012 from 4 to 8pm, family and friends are invited.
Funeral from the funeral home Tuesday at 9:00 am followed by A Funeral Mass celebrating her life at Holy Family Church, 601 Tremont Street (Rte. 3A), Duxbury, MA. at 10:00 am. Interment will be in the Mayflower Cemetery Duxbury.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Bridget’s name to Cranberry Hospice, 36 Cordage Park Circle, Ste. 326, Plymouth, MA 02360 (online at: http://www.jordanhospital.org/homecranberry.cfm?id=30 ) or The Jordan Hospital Cancer Center, 275 Sandwich Street, Plymouth, MA 02360. For online guestbook and directions please visit us at our website, macdonaldfuneralhome.com