Mary Fortune Burghart was born in 1946 in Girard, Kansas, and passed away in Gilbert, Arizona on January 12, 2023.
Mary spent her childhood in Girard with her brothers James Patrick (Jimmie) Cavanaugh and Andrew James (A.J) Cavanaugh. She graduated from Pittsburg State University with a degree in finance and accounting. She married Jon Burghart and they enjoyed a close relationship for over 55 years.
Mary and Jon lived in Germany early in their marriage and traveled throughout Europe. They then settled in Wichita, KS where they raised two sons and numerous pets. In her professional life, Mary had a long career in accounting for Pizza Hut and Grene Vision Group. Mary and Jon moved to the Phoenix area following retirement where they lived for a number of years.
Mary is survived by her husband Jon, her brother Jimmie (Joyce), sons Nate (Allison) and Clint (Stephanie), and grandchildren Belle, Hudson, Veronica, and Oliver. She was preceded in death by her parents, Jim and Katie, and her brother A.J.
Mary was a member of St. George Catholic Church in Apache Junction, AZ, where she was a third grade religious education teacher for 10 years, a cat lover and animal advocate, and an avid antique collector, who operated an antique store or booth in Kansas and Arizona for 40 years. Above all, Mary will be remembered as a loving mother, grandmother, and friend.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Center of Hope in Wichita, KS which has a mission to help prevent homelessness in the Wichita area. The website is CenterofHopeInc.org.
A visitation will be held at St. George Catholic Church 300 E. 16th in Apache Junction, AZ at 9:30 am on Friday, January 20, 2023, followed by a Mass of Christian burial at 10:30 am. The burial will be held at Mountain View Funeral Home and Cemetery at 7900 E. Main in Mesa, AZ.
Love you and miss you so much, Mary, my sweet friend 😢. Look forward to seeing you in heaven! Love ❤️ Lucy and Paul
This is such a hard time for your family and friends. Prayers for support and love as well as peace.
Jon, I just heard about Mary. She was such a kind and sweet and beautiful lady. I’m so sorry Jon. I can’t imagine what you’re going through right now. The world was a much better place with her on it. God Bless you and the boys.
I was always grateful that Mary helped me get a job in the ROTC department at Pitt State while we were in college. She had worked there and moved on to another job closer to her field of study. I replaced her as a typist, but always felt less competent than she had been.
I am so sorry to see this! Jon, I will always remember working crisis at COMCARE and you and Mary would come by to check in on us working nights. Lots of love and prayers for you, Nate and the rest of the family.
Our hearts go out to Jon and his family. This is a great loss. Hal and I have known Jon and Mary for a very long time. It’s like “salt and pepper”. It is incredibly difficult to imagine one without the other. Jon without Mary will be a tough journey for all who love them. There is no better description of the impact of grief than how the person was loved. Lots of love, lots of grief. Our very best to all who have been impacted by this loss. We are grateful that Mary no longer has to fight the devastating evil of cancer. She fought a tough fight. We love you Jon.
Dear Jon, Nate, Allison, Clint, Stephanie, and those beautiful grandkids, Mary was beautiful inside and out and was such a close friend and more like a family member for me. We shared so many memories during the 33 years we were friends. She will be forever missed and remembered by me and so many. It breaks my heart not to be with all of you on Friday, but I hope our paths cross again. Hugs and prayers to all the Burgharts. Love, Collin
Mary and I had many great experiences growing up in Girard. She was always fun-loving and had a big heart. She will be missed!
I knew Mary for many years though not as well as I would have liked. Our boys were best friends for years and my husband coached basketball with Jon. They are a perfect couple and wonderful parents and I know she will be missed by many inconsolable people. Always a lady, she was always kind and good to everyone. I will miss her and pray that Jon can overcome his pain and heal. I look forward to be lucky enough to see her again in Heaven. Rest in peace.