Framed portraits of a young U.S. Marine alongside candid shots of a proud grandmother and mother drew smiles and tears Wednesday, as loved ones of Yvonne Burroughs celebrated her life and laid her to rest.
Friends and family members described the 83-year-old as spunky, strong-willed, happy and faithful. They said she was an avid learner, enjoyed traveling in the U.S. and elsewhere, taking care of others and making the short drive to York Beach, Maine.
While she lived a full life, and a meaningful one, all were still reeling Wednesday about how tragically and suddenly it had ended – just outside the Concord church where they mourned.
Burroughs died at Concord Hospital on Nov. 2, less than two days after suffering multiple serious injuries when she was hit by a pickup truck on Loudon Road, according to police. Burroughs was crossing the road to get to the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, where she mistakenly thought services were being held Halloween night.
That area of the road is not well lit, and the truck’s driver – Marianne Sharpe, 66, of Contoocook – told police she did not see Burroughs walking. Sharpe is not facing any charges at this time.
Burroughs’s son, Brandon Burroughs, said he reached out to Sharpe soon after the accident, and was thankful for the opportunity to talk with her about what happened.
“We did not want her to feel guilt and we wanted her to know we are praying for her,” he said.
The Burroughs family has been blessed by an outpouring of support from the community, where Yvonne lived and worked for several decades, he said.
She spent much of her career as a respiratory therapist at Concord Hospital before later joining the staff at HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital where she retired in 1995. But those who knew her best said she never really retired.
“She felt an obligation to be a volunteer,” Brandon said. He noted his mother spent her time at the city’s cold weather shelter, food pantry and at the Live and Let Live Farm in Chichester where she lovingly cared for rescue horses.
Her nephew, Mark Anderson, said his aunt had tremendous respect for others and was always concerned about their happiness – and that included animals. She loved to house sit, especially when that meant she could also take care of pets, he said.
Burroughs was raised in Webster, where her parents, Herman and Nola Wibel, purchased a rundown farm after moving to the Granite State from New Jersey. That’s where she honed her gardening skills and developed a love for the outdoors.
“She had an insatiable desire to learn new things,” Anderson said, noting she always shared that knowledge.
Missy Martinson, who previously attended church with Burroughs at St. Paul’s in Concord, considered Burroughs a dear friend and said she will be greatly missed.
“She walked to the beat of her own drum,” she said.
Laurie Lucier, also a St. Paul’s parishioner, echoed that point: “She didn’t blend in. She made sure people knew who she was, and she always wanted to get to know them.”
(Alyssa Dandrea can be reached at 369-3319, adandrea@cmonitor.com or on Twitter @_ADandrea.)