Obituary of Marilyn Gould Burns

Marilyn Gould Burns of Bushkill Township, Northampton County PA, passed away peacefully on January 20 in the Inpatient Hospice Unit at Lehigh Valley Hospital, Allentown, PA, with her loving family in attendance. Marilyn was a devoted mother, wife, sister and friend. For 18 months, she waged a fierce, courageous and determined battle against cancer, dying how she lived with dignity, strength and honor. Born on October 2, 1947, Marilyn grew up in Boonton Township NJ. She graduated Boonton High School in 1965. Following graduation she attended Albright College and later graduated The Katherine Gibbs School after which she began a 30-year career with Bell Laboratories/Lucent Technologies. Marilyn retired in 1998 as a Manager. She was an expert in the design and management of secured facilities employed in the development of classified government projects undertaken by Bell Labs and Lucent Technologies for various government agencies including the Department of the Navy. Marilyn had a lifelong abiding interest in early American and colonial history which was inspired by her family's ancestry. The Dickerson family arrived here from England in 1637. Two of her ancestors had notable political careers representing the State of New Jersey as legislators and both later served as the Governor of New Jersey. One relative was appointed as the seventh Secretary of the Navy by President Martin van Buren. He also served in that capacity for President Andrew Jackson. Over years of study and reading, Marilyn amassed a scholarly knowledge of our country and the founding fathers. She especially loved traveling to and touring sites of historic significance in the evolution of our country, such as Jamestown, Williamsburg, Mount Vernon, Washington DC, Yorktown, Boston and many others. Commensurate with this interest, she has financially supported the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and the Drayton Hall Southern Plantation preservation society for many years. In addition to this travel Marilyn planned yearly family vacations to locations throughout the United States. Marilyn enjoyed riding her bike on the many Rails to Trails bike paths in and around Northampton County. She also worked every spring and summer to mulch, plant and tend her garden in which she planted native species. Both she and Ginny, the family Cairn Terrier, kept a watchful eye out for marauding squirrels, groundhogs and bunnies intent on eating the fruits of her labor. Marilyn is survived by her husband of 30 years, Leonard Michael, her son Michael Jeffery of Bushkill Township and her brother, Douglas E. Gould of Dover, NJ. She was preceded in death by her parents, Eleanor Dickerson Gould and Eugene Gould. She also leaves behind many loyal friends and extended family members. Funeral services will be held at Codey & Mackey Funeral Home, 107 Essex Avenue, Boonton, NJ 07005 on Tuesday, January 26th at 11:00 am, friends may visit one hour prior to the service. The interment will follow at Rockaway Valley cemetery, Valley Road, Boonton Township, NJ. To offer a condolence or share a memory, please visit www.codeymackeyfh.com. Those wishing to memorialize Marilyn can donate in her name to the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.