Mary Lou Burger Wilhelm
Mary Lou Burger Wilhelm passed away peacefully, in her own home in Hilton Head Island, S.C., Sunday, October 3, 2021.
She was born November 9, 1929, in Pittsburgh, and her life spanned 11 decades. Her parents, Frederick Paul Burger and Mary Hentz Burger, raised five children, with Mary Lou the youngest. Her siblings were Elmer Burger, Rose Marie Rupert, Helen Bantley and Frederick Burger Jr.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 59 years, David; and by her son, Douglas (Navia) of Aiken, S.C.
She is survived by two sons, Daniel (Susan) of Irving, Texas, and Donald of New York City, N.Y.
Mary Lou is most proud of her five grandchildren, Eric Wilhelm of Vienna, Va., Gretchen (Brett) Seller of Dallas, Texas, Hannah Wilhelm of New York City, Kevin (Keri) Wilhelm of Aiken, and Nicole Simmons of Aiken; along with her six great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild; and her loving nieces and nephew.
Mary Lou was a tough lady who lived life to its fullest with boundless energy. A child of the Great Depression, she valued hard work and a good time and found plenty of time for both.
She raised three boys with Dave and made a welcoming home and an impact on her community wherever she went, from Mt. Lebanon to Flossmoor, Ill., to Warren, N.J., and Volta Redonda, Brazil.
Upon returning to the United States, she settled back in her native South Hills of Pittsburgh in Upper St. Clair and continued an active life style and rooted on her beloved Pittsburgh Steelers.
It was in 1982 that she found true happiness in the people and places of Hilton Head Island.
The town was just incorporating and she threw herself into her new community with great enthusiasm. She was a founding parishioner at St. Francis by the Sea, where she was a lector until 90 years of age. A founding member of The Country Club of Hilton Head, she golfed until 86 and played tennis until 88.
An accomplished bridge player, she made the rounds at many a table until 89. She was a foodie who enjoyed her frequent Happy Cookers and Light Of Life gatherings. And her commitment to community service and hospitality were personified in her 20+ years as a Heritage Golf Classic volunteer and as a long-time hostess for the Family Circle Cup tennis tournament.
Her love of quilting dates back to her mother, who emigrated to the United States as a young girl from Alsace, France, at the outset of World War I. Her beautiful quilts decorate her home and those of friends and family and she was a proud member of the Palmetto Quilt Guild.
The family would like to thank the team at Homestead Hospice and Right At Home for their care and support during her final days. She so loved her cherished friends on the Island. There will be a Funeral Mass at 10 a.m. Friday, October 15, in St. Francis by the Sea Church, where she will then be interred next to Dave.
Donations, in lieu of flowers and in her memory, may be made to the church.
www.Keithfuneral.com