Vera Jean (Burke) Wadland
1951 - 2007
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GRAFTON : Vera Jean (Burke) Wadland, 56, of Grafton passed away
Friday, December 28 2007 after being stricken ill at home. She is survived by
her husband of 36 years, Ken, and their son, Richard. She is also survived by
two of her sisters, Marcia Eaton (Westminster) and Janice O’Brien (Bedford,
New Hampshire), and many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.
She was born November 23, 1951 in Worcester the youngest
daughter of the late Vera B. (Meigide) and Richard K. Burke. Vera was raised in
Shrewsbury graduating from Shrewsbury
High School in 1969 and then attended Springfield
(MA) College.
Vera enjoyed singing in the choir at The Evangelical
Congregational Church of Grafton where she was an active member since living in
Grafton. She loved the times she spent reading to children at the Grafton
Library. Vera and Ken enjoyed many hours of ballroom dancing and square dancing
and traveling including visiting all 48 continental United States, twice!
Vera insisted on referring to her job as “housewife” and
would correct anyone who tried to write “none” under “employment” on any
form. Her focus was on her son and husband, taking great personal pride in all
of their accomplishments. It would be hard to imagine anyone more dedicated to
the happiness and success of their family. Vera’s favorite time of year was
Christmas always wishing it could last all year and to her it almost did. She
went Christmas shopping every month of the year and read literally hundreds of
gift catalogs looking for the perfect gift for each person on her long lists.
We’re so glad that she was able to celebrate one last Christmas.
Calling hours will be 2 – 4 pm and 6 – 9 pm on Tuesday,
January 1st in Roney Funeral Homes
– North Chapel, 152 Worcester St. (Rt 122 & 140 ) in North Grafton.
Funeral Services will be held Wednesday January 2nd at 11 am in The Evangelical
Congregational Church, 30 Grafton Common in Grafton Center. Following the
funeral, there will be a procession to Mountain View Cemetery, in Shrewsbury,
where she will be laid to rest beside her sister, Lois Anne, and near her
parents. Following her committal, refreshments will be served in The Clifford
Room at the First Congregational Church of
Shrewsbury, 19 Church Road in Shrewsbury Center ( Next to Mountain View
Cemetery) which Vera attended as a child.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Lois Anne
Memorial Fund at the Greater Worcester
Community Foundation, 370 Main Street, Suite 650, Worcester, MA 01608. This
is a charitable fund that Vera and Ken created in 1993 to memorialize her
sister. It is dedicated to “support human care programs in the Worcester
area”.
A guest /
condolence book and directions are available at: RoneyFuneralHome.com
