Margaret "Marnee" Burke DeVine

Margaret Louise (Marnee) Burke DeVine died peacefully surrounded by family on January 23, 2023 at the age of 96. Born April 2, 1926 in Winthrop, Massachusetts, to Charles Burke and Margaret Kennedy, Marnee was the eldest of three children who grew up in the emerging Irish political environment of Boston. Her grandfather PJ Kennedy was at its center and she was raised in his house overlooking Boston Harbor. Marnee left Boston to attend Elmhurst Academy of the Sacred Heart high school where her lifelong friendships began. Upon graduating from Manhattanville College in New York, Marnee returned to Boston and met the love of her life John DeVine. John convinced the adventurous Marnee to marry in 1949 and move to Ann Arbor, Michigan. While John practiced law, Marnee raised a family of five children providing unique experiences for each child to develop their passions.

In the tradition of her Boston family, Marnee would soon join her cousins Jack and Bobby Kennedy’s presidential campaigns, even taking her eldest daughter Margot along with her in 1967. After each campaign, she settled back into the task of running a growing family and becoming an integral member of the community. Marnee grew to love Michigan, as she did Boston, and became a champion of causes including St. Joseph Hospital, the Michigan Kidney Foundation and Catholic Social Services (CSSW). Over the years, she was recognized by those organizations for her leadership. She supported John’s involvement in the emerging field of healthcare law, helping create a network of colleagues across the country. In later years, she would advise charities on fundraising and development and never lost her infectious enthusiasm for a new cause. Marnee inherited John’s passion for Northern Michigan. She loved the water. Any boat ride was a great boat ride and any chance to swim was not to be missed. She championed land conservation in the area and fought for limits on overdevelopment in Benzie County.

Marnee was an incredibly creative person and always included others to help achieve her goals. She led by example and shared the spotlight with all. As comfortable around CEOs and Presidents as she was around 8th graders. On the campaign trail she was a natural politician. To all, she was a gracious hostess, kind, enormously fun, and always charming and elegant.

She was very deliberate in her goals for herself and her family, which she made the center of her life, and in time, she became the center of an ever-growing family. Marnee was preceded in death by her husband John, her brother Tom Burke, and her beloved daughters Ann Elizabeth and Susan Joan. She is survived by her adoring children Margot (Alan) Mumby, Kathy DeVine (Neil Brilliant) and John (Margie) DeVine, brother Charles (Claire) Burke, sister-in-law Trudy Burke, sons-in-law Brent Baglien and Steve Klein, devoted grandchildren Blake (Kristina) Mumby, Ashley Mumby, Margaret Baglien, Brigit Baglien (Nate Parchment), Kirstin Baglien, Eric Brilliant, Elizabeth Brilliant, John (Jacqueline) Klein, Joseph Klein, Madeline Klein, Jack DeVine, Michael DeVine and Kathleen Kelley DeVine, and great grandsons Connor and Ethan Mumby. Her family includes the many friends, nieces and nephews whom she loved, and too numerous to name!

Visitation will be held at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church at 10:30 am Monday January 30, 2023. A Celebration of Life Mass will begin at 11:30 am.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be directed to: The Marnee and John DeVine Foundation of the CSSW, 4925 Packard Road, Ann Arbor, Mi 48108