Cele Tristany Burke

Cele passed away at home at the age of 96. She is survived by her daughter Kathleen (Johnson), her granddaughter Carol Melone Kenton of Simi Valley, her grandson Joseph F. Johnson IV of Burbank, and her great grandson's Andrew Kenton, Daniel Kenton and Issac Johnson.

Cele was born and raised in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. She was the youngest of ten children. She became an R.N. and received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Catholic University in Washington D.C. and her Masters in Science at the University of LaVerne.

Cele first came to California in 1945 to teach nursing at Queen of Angeles Hospital in Los Angeles. She returned to Pittsfield and married Joseph H. Burke whom she had met in Washington D.C.. They had two daughter, Mary Barbara Burke Melone (deceased) and Kathleen Burke Johnson.

Cele and her family returned to California in 1954 and moved to Burbank in 1955. Cele returned to teaching.

After the death of her husband in 1966, Cele learned how to drive and soon discovered a love of traveling which took her all over the world.

Throughout her life Cele was active in many organizations, for example, the Red Cross, The California Nursing Association and Zonta (which is a world wide organization working together to advance the status of women), just to name a few.

Even after she retired she stayed active in the Red Cross as a volunteer and also became a volunteer at the Burbank Library as well. She was an active Member or "Friend" of the Library and was chosen to serve on the Library Board where she was committed and instrumental in the building of the Buena Vista Branch.

With her involvement in the women's organization, Zonta, she was chosen to be Women of the Year.

She was a "Communicate" of St. Robert Bellarmine Church and a member of the Holy Name Society. She was loved by her family and all her friends.

Often called "The Cute Little Lady in the Hat", she will be missed by all who knew her.

Services will be held at St. Roberts Bellarmine Church on Monday, Januray 12, 2015 at 10:00 AM. Internment will follow at San Fernando Mission Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, her family also asks that donations be made to the Alzhiemer's Association (alz.org) in Cele's name.