Obituary - Lena Marie Burger - Spanish Teacher

Lena Marie Burger
Spanish Teacher


© Published from 7/27/2004 - 7/28/2004

Lena Marie Burger

Lena Burger, 1965 EDUCATOR FOR 40+ YEARS A resident of San Leandro for 53 years, she was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 1912. Lena Marie Cabeza De Baca attended and graduated from the University of New Mexico in 1936. She was a teacher and principal at the elementary level before moving to California to join her family. She attended graduate school at San Francisco State University, Stanford, and the University of Valencia, Spain. Lena Marie taught for the Oakland Unified School District for over 35 years. Her last teaching position was at Oakland High School, where she was known as Seora Burger, a master teacher of Spanish. Seora Burger was also an instructor at Holy Names College, where she taught methods courses to education majors. She loved to read, and travel where she could speak Spanish, French, Portuguese and Italian. Her hobbies were cooking and gardening. She was a member of CTA, NEA, and a charter member of Alpha Delta Kappa, an International Education Organization that supports teachers entering the education field through annual scholarships. Her true love was for her family. She is survived by her sister Pauline Copeland of Castro Valley and brother Jerry C. De Baca of Pinole; daughter Diana Sawin and son-in-law Peter Sawin of San Leandro; grandson Van and wife, Kristen, and great-granddaughter Courtney of Olympia, Washington; and grandson Peter Sawin and wife, Jennifer, of Tracy. Her many nieces and nephews, friends and colleagues played an important part in her life. She truly made a difference in the lives of her family, friends and students, and will be greatly missed. GOD BLESS. Funeral liturgy today at Church of the Assumption, 1100 Fulton Ave., San Leandro, beginning at 10:00 a.m. Burial following at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Hayward. SANTOS-ROBINSON MORTUARY SAN LEANDRO, CALIFORNIA (510) 483-0123