Lynn Marie Burke

Lynn Marie Burke Lakeland- Lynn Marie Burke, 64, died on Dec. 16, 2017 at Lakeland Regional Health. She was born on Sept. 9, 1953 in Alton, IL to the late Carl and Helen Howard. Lynn received her early elementary school education at Colegio Abraham Lincoln in Bogota, Colombia where her father worked for Owens-Illinois Glass Co. As a result of living in Colombia, she was fluent in Spanish. She was a graduate of Santa Fe High School and attended the University of South Florida and Florida Southern College. Lynn was an ardent reader. She was a true intellectual and lover of knowledge for the sake of knowledge as well as for personal development and fulfilment. She amassed an impressive library of titles numbering in the thousands and her love of literature and non-fiction was coupled with technical and aesthetic appreciation of modern art. Decades of living with the difficulties of multiple sclerosis did not deter her from expanding her mind; sharing her discoveries by engaging friends and family in lively thoughtful discussion. Lynn was a resident of Lakeland Hills Center for many years. The staff at the Center became a second family to her with whom she shared mutual love and respect. She helped many of them who were going to college, advising, tutoring, and giving encouragement. Lynn was a barber and hair stylist by profession working many years for Ronnie’s Barber Shop in Winter Haven. She drove fast and loved her sports cars. She is survived by her sister Sue Perica (Ray) of Lakeland, her aunt Jean Kramer of Brighton, IL, her nephew Tom Perica (Andre Gordon), of Phoenix, AZ, her niece Mary Perica (Peter Malloy) of Orient, NY, and many cousins. A Memorial Eucharist will be celebrated on Saturday, January 13, 2018, 11 a.m. at St David’s Episcopal Church, 145 E. Edgewood Dr., Lakeland. Interment will be in the church’s Columbarium. In lieu of flowers, please donate to or volunteer at Read Lakeland. http://readlakeland.com/ http://readlakeland.com/donate/