Marlene Frances (Leonard) Miller Burnham

Marlene "Mar" Frances (Leonard) Miller Burnham, 76, passed away on Thursday, January 7, 2021, after complications from COVID-19.

Marlene was born in Pittsburgh, PA, on June 28, 1944, to Bernard and Nellie (Lawson) Leonard. She was a graduate of North Hills High School in Pittsburgh and worked for Blue Cross in PA. On a blind date, through extended family, in Muskegon, Michigan, she met Melvin Miller. They married and she moved to Michigan not long after. Marlene always called Pittsburgh "home", her next love was Irons, MI where she and her husband Dick lived in a house they built overlooking a beautiful creek in the woods. She also lived in Ludington, and for the last eight years, close to her daughter in Kalamazoo at Friendship Village. She worked for Consumers Power Company, both in Muskegon and at the Ludington Pumped Storage Plant, for 30 years. In Ludington, her office looked out over Lake Michigan, not a bad view to have every day.

Marlene was an avid and skilled quilter, gardener, antique collector, animal lover, and shopper. Seriously, she could shop for hours. Her smile and laughter were contagious and her positivity admirable. She was happy, fun, and fantastically feisty. There was not a moment that she wasn't busy doing something. She was a supportive, loving, wonderful mom, and loved all of her family more than anything.

Marlene was preceded in death by her second husband, Richard "Dick" Burnham.

Surviving is her daughter, Michelle Miller and husband Kent Elliott, grandchildren; Ry and Ivy Elliott of Richland; stepdaughter, Jeanine (Burnham) Ream of Oscoda; step-grandchildren, Noah and Jovian Ream; her brother, David Leonard; sister, Ruth Leonard and partner Chris Drgon; niece, Kriss Gielas, husband Joe Gielas, and her family all of Pittsburgh, PA.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks you to go outside, get your fingers dirty, and plant something in remembrance; a tree, bush, or flowers. Also, purchase (and wear) a mask for yourself and your family - that's what Mar would want.

An online/virtual memorial is planned for Sunday, January 31st, 1 pm - https://afterword.co/stories/marlene-frances-leonard-miller-burnham/
Due to Covid-19, in-person services to celebrate her life will be held at the end of June, for more information please check back. Personal memories, messages, and photos are encouraged and can be posted here at www.farleyestesdowdle.com. Farley Estes Dowdle Funeral Home and Cremation Care is assisting Marlene's family.