Adele Hope (Hileman) Burnham

Beloved wife, mother and grandmother, Adele Hope Burnham, 76, of Boerne, Texas, departed this life on Saturday, July 11, 2020 at home, surrounded by her family.  Born on June 2, 1944, in New London, she was the daughter of the late Lovell and Julia Rose (nee Timmons) Hileman.  Adele is survived by her loving husband of 55 years, Bruce O. Burnham, three children and six grandchildren.  Adele was a 1962 graduate of New London High School and a 1967 graduate of The Ohio State University, where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education. 

Adele’s love of music lead her to pursue a graduate degree at Colorado State University in Fort Collins.  She went on to teach music education in Rockville, Maryland, Chatham Township, New Jersey and Fairfield, Connecticut.  In Madison, New Jersey Adele served on the Presbyterian Church Board of Education and the Music Board of Drew University.  She also served as director of the Greenfield Hill Congregational Church School in Fairfield, Connecticut.  During this time she earned a second Bachelor of Arts degree in early childhood development.

After her career in music education she went on to serve on the Board of Directors of the Norwalk Connecticut Symphony which then lead to her appointment as the Executive Director of the symphony.  Later in life, Adele went on to earn a degree in Interior Design from the Harrington Institute of Art & Design in Chicago.

Adele was a lifelong volunteer and member of numerous charitable organizations where she donated her time, talents and creativity.  She was active in the Junior League of Fairfield County for many years and also served as President of the organization.  She was a Deaconess for the Greenfield Hill Congregational Church.  In New Jersey, she was named chairman of the Bicentennial Celebration and later was co-chairman of the Fairfield Christmas Tree Festival, a benefit for children and local causes.  She volunteered with the Jackie Robinson Foundation to host “An Afternoon of Jazz” which supported scholarships to minority youth for higher education.  Adele was a sister in the Alpha Phi sorority and also a longtime member of P.E.O. International, an organization which supports women through educational scholarships, grants, awards and loans.

Adele became an avid artist in recent years with her many oil paintings depicting the beauty of her favorite places such as Colorado, Nantucket, Ocean Reef Florida and Texas.  She loved spending time vacationing with her six grandchildren, playing cards and board games, reading books and cooking with them.  She will be remembered by her friends as caring, thoughtful and most of all, fun to be with whether at community gatherings or around the card table.

She is survived by her husband, Bruce, and three children and six grandchildren; Matthew B. (Kara M., Jack and Marin) Burnham; David P. (Lynn D., Marshall and Adelaide) Burnham; Elizabeth A. (Joseph J. III, Joseph and Margaret) Murphy; and a sister, Rosemary Jones of Hudson.  Adele was preceded in death by her sister DeLee G. Banbury and her niece Jennifer L. Burnham.

A private service for family will be held on July 20 at Grove Street Cemetery in the Hileman Family Mausoleum in New London, Ohio.  In lieu of flowers, donations in Adele’s memory may be directed to The James, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center https://osu-honor-and-memorial-giving.everydayhero.com/us/adele-burnham.  Expressions of sympathy may be shared online at www.eastmanfuneralhome.com.

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