Barbara Burrill

Barbara Jean Herman Burrill died in Wilmington, North Carolina on August 20, 2026, at the age of 76 following a year and a half journey with cancer. Growing up in Northern Ohio, Barb enjoyed spending time along the Lake Erie shoreline and could often be found helping at Mon Ami, the family restaurant on Catawba Island, which grew from her family’s historic Mantey’s winery in Venice, Ohio. That family legacy remained close to her heart, along with the many memories and traditions that came with it.

After graduating from nursing school in 1971, Barbara began her nursing career at Sandusky Memorial Hospital in Sandusky, Ohio, before moving to Columbus, where she continued her work at Columbus Children’s Hospital. Following her marriage to Joe Burrill in 1983, the couple settled in the Dayton area, and Barbara continued her nursing career until the birth of their daughter, Colleen, in 1989. They made their home in Centerville for the next 30 years, building a life deeply rooted in faith and community. After stepping away from nursing, Barbara dedicated herself wholeheartedly to caregiving for neighbors and her church family. Guided by her strong Catholic faith, she also became a devoted advocate for the sanctity of life, a cause that remained close to her heart throughout the years.

Following Joe’s retirement, Barb and Joe left Ohio for the North Carolina coast, where they could enjoy warmer weather and be closer to Colleen. An avid crafter, Barb loved scrapbooking, settling in with a challenging puzzle, and watching film noir movies with her daughter and their beloved dog, Gumby. In addition, she could simply not start her day without enjoying a hot cup of coffee.

Her faith remained an important part of her daily life. Barb was a devoted parishioner of St. Therese Catholic Church and remained actively involved in pro-life apostolates, continuing to live out the values of faith, service, and care for others that had shaped so much of her life.

Barbara was born on August 2, 1950, in Sandusky, Ohio to Edward J. Herman and Marie Mantey Herman. She is preceded in death by parents, her sister Suzanne Herman Schoewe, brother Edward Herman Jr., and her husband Joseph W. Burrill.

She is survived by her brother, David Herman and wife Melody of Albuquerque, New Mexico, her sister-in-law, Paulette Herman and godson, Sean Herman of Corrales, New Mexico, her daughter, Colleen Burrill and her partner Maximilliano Ruiz-Ordaz of Wilmington, North Carolina, her step-daughter, Jennifer Burrill and granddaughter, Sofia Burrill of Santa Fe, New Mexico, and her brother and sister-in-law, Charles and Suzanne Burrill of Ortonville, Michigan, including their four children and grandchildren.

A funeral Mass will be held at 12pm, Tuesday, August 25, at St. Therese Catholic Church.

The family will receive visitors 30 minutes prior to the service, and the Nurse Honor Guard of Coastal North Carolina will also honor Barbara prior to the Mass.

A second Mass will follow in Bellevue, OH and burial in Sandusky, OH.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Barb’s memory may be made to the New Hanover County Humane Society, 2405 N. 23rd Street Wilmington, NC 28401 or the Wounded Warrior Project, 1990 Fordham Dr Ste 100, Fayetteville, NC 28304.