Mary Burnside, age 57, of Ridgewood New Jersey, passed away on Saturday, March 4, 2017. She was born on January 24, 1960 in Brooklyn, New York to Vincent and Marie Verderame. She was married on September 10, 1989 in New York and her honeymoon included Hong Kong, Bali, Singapore and Thailand. She is survived by her husband Russell S. Burnside, Esq., daughters Jessica and Emily, son Zachary, and brother Dr. Frank Verderame. She lived in Montclair, New Jersey with her loving family for 12 years and then moved into an 1867 Victorian home of her dreams in Ridgewood, New Jersey. Mary graduated from Villanova University with a BS in Psychology. She then taught high school before attending Brooklyn Law School and graduating with a Juris Doctorate. She first worked for the New York City Department of Investigation investigating ethics complaints. Then she became an Assistant Prosecutor in Essex County, New Jersey prosecuting a wide variety of criminal offenses. She then became a Law Guardian in Essex County and later Bergen County compassionately representing children in need for close to twenty years. She helped countless children and touched so many lives. She was also a foster parent in recent years. She will also always be remembered for telling so many funny stories and her laugh was contagious as it filled the room. Her passions included cooking, traveling, gardening and spending time at her beach front condominium in Wildwood Crest, New Jersey with her wonderful family. Mary will be missed by the many people whose lives she has benefitted.

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