Mary Burlingame

Mary Burlingame

Mary Elizabeth Snyder Burlingame, 72, died April 20, 2011. She was born on Dec 1, 1938 in Middletown, N.Y., and was the daughter of the late Charles E. and J. May Seaman Snyder. She graduated from Middletown High School and attended Orange County Community College. She raised her children in New York while working as a free-lance bookkeeper and moved to Fort Myers, in 1979.

She is survived by her husband, Samuel H. Burlingame Sr., whom she married on July 19, 1958 in Our Lady of Mt Carmel Church, Middletown, N.Y.

Burlingame is survived by her children, all of Fort Myers, Vickianne Snyder Clark, Samuel Burlingame Jr., Valerie White (Michael), Charles Burlingame (Shannon) and Scott Burlingame, and grandchildren, Vickianne Morgan Barry (Joe), Christine DuBois, Corinna Cron (Nate), William Cron (Heather), Branden Cron, Michael Whidden, Ashley Burlingame (Shane), Katelynn Burlingame, Brittany Burlingame, Scott Burlingame Jr., Victoria Snyder, Cheyenne Snyder all of Fort Myers; Jaime Jo Morgan (Neil), Jacksonville and Capt. Blaise Morgan (Gina), Afghanistan.

She is also survived by 12 great-grandchildren. Other survivors include Jennifer Burlingame of Fort Myers, James Seaman of Middletown, N.Y., Lawrence Bosco of Winchester, Ky., as well as several cousins, nieces and nephews and many friends across the country including Michelle Ebbecke and Patricia Seitz. She was predeceased by her grandsons, Mark Burlingame and Samuel Burlingame III.

Pallbearers will include Fred Ebbecke, Rich Seitz, Randy Fox, William Cron, Michael Whidden and Scott Burlingame Jr.

Her family said she was the best of their family. They said they needed her and none of them can fill her shoes. They said she taught them to live everyday to its fullest and never, ever quit. She enjoyed her flowers while she was alive and prefers you to “eat out” in her memory. She requested that we not mourn, but celebrate, which we will gather to do on Monday, April 25, a family spokesman said.

Visitation will be from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Monday at Anderson-Patterson Funeral Services, 2701 Lee Blvd. in Lehigh Acres.

A noon Mass will be held at St Raphael’s Catholic Church, 2514 Lee Blvd. in Lehigh.

Burial will follow at Lee Memorial Park with a reception at the Lehigh Moose Lodge, 210 Homestead Rd. in Lehigh Acres.