Mary Margaret Elizabeth Burke Fine passed away peacefully on August 26, 2022, at the
age of 90, surrounded by the people she loved most in the world. Mary was born and
raised in Hoboken, New Jersey. She was a gifted and dedicated educator, who spent more
than four decades as an elementary school teacher in the Hoboken school system. Mary
remembered her students with great affection even years after retirement, and many of
her former pupils recall the lifelong influence of her compassion and devotion in the
classroom.
She was married to the love of her life, Walter, for 66 years, and they were avid travelers.
They proudly hung a world map in their home dotted with pins marking the hundreds of
places they had explored. Mary was a loving mother to her three children, James,
Michael, and Laura, and a generous grandmother to her four granddaughters, Danielle,
Nikki, Stephanie, and Landy. She shared her love of travel with the girls by taking them
on annual summer trips while they were growing up. Afterwards, Mary would create
beautiful photo albums to commemorate these adventures. These albums will forever be
cherished as memories of their travels together and how much love and pride Mary felt
for her granddaughters. Mary was a devout Catholic and treasured hosting all of her
children and grandchildren each Christmas Eve in her North Bergen, New Jersey home
overlooking the Manhattan skyline. These celebrations were the highlight of the holiday
season for Mary’s family, and they will always look back fondly on those times spent
together.
Mary is survived by her beloved husband, Walter Fine; her children James (Cheryl) Fine,
Michael (Aimée) Fine, and Laura (James) Erlick; her granddaughters Danielle (John)
Fine, Nikki Erlick, Stephanie Fine, and Landy Erlick; and her brother Nicholas
(Katharine) Burke. She was predeceased by her mother Marguerite Glynn Burke, father
Nicholas Burke, brother James Burke, and sister Margaret Burke.
Visitation will be held Tuesday, August 30th at Failla Memorial Home beginning at 9am and concluding at 11:30am.
A funeral mass celebrating Mary’s life will be held on Tuesday, August 30th at St. Lawrence RC Church Weehawken, NJ at 12 noon.
Entombment will follow at Holy Cross Chapel Mausoleum; North Arlington, NJ.
Mary fought a long and courageous battle with Parkinson’s disease, always demonstrating resilience and
Grace.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Parkinson’s Foundation.