Liz was born in Northern Ireland on August 21st, 1944 where she grew up with her parents, Marjorie and Gordon Stephenson and little sister Eileen in Bangor, County Down. At the age of sixteen she met her future husband, Brendan (Barney) Burke and they immigrated to Canada in 1969 where they got married.

Once settled in Canada, Liz began her teaching career at East York Collegiate as a high school English and Geography teacher. Shortly thereafter Liz and Barney began their family and Liz took time away from work to raise their two daughters, Tara and Catherine. After many years of taking the girls to ballet, skating, swimming, Girl Guides and piano lessons, she returned to teaching with the Peel Board of Education.

In her life, she enjoyed travelling home to Ireland, to Myrtle Beach in South Carolina when the girls were young, and later vacationing in Cuba on a regular basis. She loved eating meals out at restaurants, visiting her family in Ottawa and gossiping with her closest friend, Linda. After retiring from teaching, she became a doting Grannie to Hugh, Desmond, Brendan and Maeve and in addition, spent time volunteering at the Deacon’s Cupboard food bank, getting her hair done every week, and participating in her treasured book club.

Liz was a loving wife and best friend to Barney for over 50 years and a caring, always supportive, gentle mother to her two daughters, Tara and Catherine.

We love you, we will miss you and we will remember you, always.


A celebration of Liz’s life will take place on her birthday in August of next year.
The visitation and funeral is family only.
The internment will be restricted to Barney, the girls and their children.