She was born on November 21, 1935 in Greenwich, Connecticut to the late Margaret Mary Mullan (nee Murphy) of Dunmanway, Ireland and the late Edward Mullan of Donegal, Ireland. Tish attended Greenwich High School, and Albertus Magnus College where she obtained a B.A. in English in 1957. She was married to Walter Dean Burnham on June 7, 1958 at Catherine of Sienna Catholic Church in Riverside, Connecticut.
Tish was a trailblazer and while raising two children, returned to school and obtained a Ph.D. in Art History from Boston University in 1984. In 1988, Tish and her husband moved to Austin Texas. She taught at the University of Texas in the Department of American Studies and the Department of Art and Art History from 1988 until 2008, when she retired. She touched the hearts of many students over the years and authored publications on various topics, including American history painting, the works of artists John Trumbull, Theresa Bernstein, Charlie Russell and the artwork depicted in the Montana State Capital building. She was a long time member of St. Louis Catholic Church in Austin, Texas. She was devoted to her church, family and friends, and loved the arts.
She is survived by her husband of sixty years, Walter Dean Burnham; her son John Patrick Burnham of Scottsdale, Arizona; her daughter Anne More Burnham (Edward Garcia) of San Antonio, Texas; granddaughters Veronica Leigh Burnham and Miranda Lynn Burnham of Brooklyn, New York; grandsons Matthew Garcia and Luke Garcia of San Antonio, Texas; nephew Gregg Garofalo and niece Marci Garofalo of Old Saybrook, Connecticut; and niece Lara Nedobity of Middlebury, Connecticut. She was predeceased by her mother Margaret Mary Mullan, her father Edward Mullan, and sister Drinagh Marie Garofalo from Old Saybrook, Connecticut.
Visitation will be open to friends on Monday, November 19, 2018 from 3:00-6:00p.m. with a Rosary at 5:00 p.m. at Sunset Northwest Funeral Home, 6321 Bandera Road, San Antonio, TX 78238.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Tuesday, November 20, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church, 223 E. Summit Avenue, San Antonio, TX 78212.
Interment will be on Tuesday, November 27, 2018 at 11:30 a.m. at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, 1520 Harry Wurzbach Road, San Antonio, Texas 78209.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Tish’s honor to any charity benefitting the poor.
