Marlene Burton

Marlene Burton of Ridgewood, 85, passed away at home on April 18, 2023.

Marlene was born in New York, NY on March 23, 1938. She attended Hunter College High School, which she always referred to as a “slice of heaven,” and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in mathematics from Trinity College in Washington, D.C. Marlene began her career as a computer programmer for Union Carbide and IBM. She lived on the Upper West Side of Manhattan where she met her husband John Burton through her sister-in-law, Betty Uhlman née Burton, in 1971. Marlene and John married on April 22, 1972 and settled in Ridgewood.  Marlene stayed at home to raise her daughters, presiding over arts and crafts, piano practice, trips uptown to Drapkins for art supplies and to the Ridgewood Public Library, playground and Graydon Pool. Marlene drove the girls to and from ballet, gymnastics and art lessons, and organized family vacations to the Adironacks and Cape Cod.

In 1987, Marlene went “back to work” as a computer consultant and stockbroker, and later received a certification in math education from Rutgers University and became a math tutor. For many decades, Marlene was active in the College Club and the League of Women Voters of Ridgewood, where she founded the Education Committee. Marlene’s favorite pastimes included traveling, attending and later zooming into League and Board of Education meetings, reading, and listening to her grandchildren practice the piano and the drums.

In her later years, Marlene developed muscular dystrophy, which robbed her of the ability to walk and continued to limit Marlene’s life functions in many ways. Marlene embarked on a 10-year quest to determine the cause of the dystrophy and find a cure, visiting many specialists in traditional and alternative medicine. Despite her progressive physical limitations, she remained an active participant at social events, her grandchildren’s recitals and concerts, and civic meetings in person via wheelchair and via zoom.   

Marlene is survived by her devoted husband John A. Burton, daughters Anne Burton Walsh of Ridgewood, NJ (Joseph M. Walsh), Elizabeth Burton of Jenkintown, PA (Marcos Beolchi De Arruda), and Sarah Kahandaliyanage of Ridgewood, NJ (Stefan Kahandaliyanage), grandchildren Maria, Henry and Eleanor Walsh, Luca and Roen Kahandaliyanage, and Beatriz, Esther, and Estelle Beolchi Burton, sister Anita Massoglia and brother-in-law Peter Massoglia of Englewood, Florida, sister-in-law of Betty Burton Uhlman of Newtown Square, PA, nephew Mark Massoglia of Jacksonville, FL, niece Gina Massoglia Spindler of Annapolis, MD and nephew Dino Massoglia of Charleston, SC, and their children.

The Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Tuesday at 10 a.m. at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel RC Church, Ridgewood. “Green burial” to follow at Maryrest Cemetery, Mahwah.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you please consider a donation in Marlene’s memory to the Hunter College Elementary School Endowment Fund. https://www.hunterschools.org/make-a-gift. 

Funeral Mass will be streamed at: https://www.olmcridgewood.com/