Mary E. Burdett

Mary E. Burdett, age 101, died August 18, 2026, in Lima.

Mary was born January 21, 1925, in Erie, PA, the daughter of Carl and Clara (Goetz) Peffer and sister of Eleanor and brothers, John (Jack) Charles (Chuck), all deceased, and sister, Helen Young, who survives in Portland, OR.

She graduated from St. Paul High School in Marion, IN. Mary moved to Lima when the Nickel Plate Railroad, her father’s employer, transferred him to Lima during WWII. Mary worked at Westinghouse Lima as a secretary and it was there that she met John Burdett, an electrical engineer in Westinghouse Small Motors Division. They were married from 1945 until John’s death in 1999.

In addition to her husband; sister, Eleanor; and brothers, Jack and Chuck; Mary was pre-deceased by in-laws, Rosemary Peffer, Ted Young, Robert and Marjorie Burdett, and Raymond and Shirley Burdett.

Mary is survived by her five children: Kathleen (Jim) Hahn of Toledo, Mary Lynn (Bob) Muehleisen of Sylvania, OH, Janet (Tom) McPheron of Lima, Mark (Robin) Burdett of Fishers, IN, and James (Suzanne) Burdett of Glen Ellyn, IL; grandchildren: Angie (Pat) Diette of Westborough, MA, Beth (Dru Carr) Hahn of Missoula, MT, Ellen (Adam) Kominek of Sylvania, Andrew (Maddy Case) of Eugene, OR, Bob (Amy Scheider) Muehleisen of Cincinnati, Ben (Andrea) McPheron of Cincinnati, Julie (Andy) Joseph of Lima, Kelly (Greg) Cissell of St. Louis, Kyle (Keira) Perkins of Indianapolis, Christopher Burdett of Chicago, and Colin Burdett of Tokyo, Japan; 21 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandson. Mary also is survived by many fond nieces and nephews.

Mary was a lifetime Catholic and member of St. Gerard Parish, living her faith through caregiving and volunteering. While Mary was a stay-at-home mom, she logged many hours volunteering as school secretary at St. Gerard parish, Girl Scout leader, the St. Rita’s Hospital Thrift Store, and the St. Rita’s coffee cart, among other places. She was a ready babysitter for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and occasionally for their pets as well. Mary was an amazing caregiver for her husband John, seeing him through a long battle with Parkinsons.

Mary was an outdoors enthusiast, trailer camping in most of the national parks when her children were young, and later active along with her husband in the Lima Chapter of American Youth Hostels, hiking, biking, canoeing, and whitewater rafting well into her 70s. In retirement, Mary and John participated in Elder Hostel programs. Mary was an avid card player, belonging to a pinochle club and several bridge clubs. Mary was well read, and her interests also extended to antique collecting and furniture refinishing. She enjoyed traveling, sometimes accompanying her husband on business trips, and in her later years, traveling with her sister, Helen and sister-in-law, Rosemary. The keys to Mary’s long and successful life were healthy eating (but with lots of coffee and an occasional hard cider), a good sense of humor, a positive outlook, and adaptability to new situations. As she aged, she went through the usual downsizing of living arrangements, dealt with various age-related illnesses, and outlived most of her peers, but Mary always managed to adapt, meeting each challenge with gratitude, and finding reasons to be positive, no matter what the situation.

A memorial mass will be held at St. Gerard Church at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, September 9, 2026. Father Michael Bialorucki will officiate.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions be made to the National Parks Foundation or an Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s charity.

Arrangements handled by Chamberlain-Huckeriede Funeral Home. Condolences may be expressed at www.chamberlainhuckeriede.com.