Obituary: Ann Burke, She Emigrated to the U.S. as a Young Woman

Obituary from Conway, Cahill-Brodeur Funeral Home.

Ann Burke, 87, died peacefully on Saturday March 28, 2015 at the North Shore Medical Center—Salem Hospital after a long illness.

Born in Armagh, Northern Ireland, Ann was the daughter of the late Peter and Margaret (Finnegan) Burke. She had two brothers, Peter and Patrick, and two sisters, Margaret and Elizabeth, who all pre-deceased her.

Ann was the longtime close friend of the Splaine Family of Peabody. She emigrated to the United States as a young woman and early on lived with the late Josephine Splaine of Peabody. She was also the devoted friend of the late Frieda and John Splaine and their eight children (Kathleen, John Jr. (Jack), David, Mary Lou, Maureen, Francis, Eileen and Jo-Anne) and 12 grandchildren (Hilary, Nicholas, Colleen, Katie, Emily, John, Hannah, Kiera, Henry, Emma, Fiona, and Molly). She was the godmother to Mary Lou Splaine of Wakefield and good friend to Tim Eagar of Peabody, husband of Jo-Anne (Splaine) Eagar.

Ann worked for many years as a bookkeeper at Polypat and Henry Leathers in Peabody and later at the Peabody Industrial Park. She was a familiar figure to many around Peabody Square and loved to try her luck on the state lottery. She was a hard worker and loved to tell a good story. She was a lively presence at Splaine family gatherings for many years and will be missed greatly by her American family.

Relatives and friends are kindly invited to gather for a visitation on Saturday April 4, 2015 from 9 – 10 AM in the Conway, Cahill-Brodeur Funeral Home, 82 Lynn St., Peabody, followed by a Funeral Service at 10 AM in the funeral home. Burial will be in Cedar Grove Cemetery, Peabody. Memorial donations may be made to the St. Vincen DePaul Society, c/o St. John the Baptist Church, 17 Chestnut St., Peabody, MA 01960.