Malinda Givens Burke
Malinda Givens Burke
My darling, sweetheart and love of my life, Malinda Givens Burke, passed away peacefully into the arms of God on December 24, 2016. She and her husband Daniel have resided in Parker, Texas since 2008.
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, December 31, 2016 at 11:00am at the League City United Methodist Church in League City, Texas. Visitation with the family will be on Friday from 6-8:30pm at Crowder Funeral Home in League City, Texas. Graveside service will be at Forest Park Lawndale Cemetery. A reception will be held at the League City United Methodist Church hall after the graveside service. The family requests that any donations in her name be made to the American Cancer Society or the St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.
Malinda was born on July 16, 1954 in Rankin, Texas to her parents Marguerite and the late Jack C. Givens. She is survived by her husband Daniel Burke, son Christopher and Jean (spouse) Burke, grandsons Vaughn and Peter Burke, mother Marguerite Givens, brother George and Christine (spouse) Givens, and nieces Skye, Leili and Rachel Givens.
Malinda grew up in Houston, Texas, graduated from Sharpstown High School and attended college at Stephen F. Austin State University. She graduated with a B.A. in English and Spanish, and received her Teaching Certification in education. Later, she attended the University of North Texas and added a mathematics Teaching Certification. Malinda and husband Daniel met while attending SFASU and were married in May 1976. After marrying and graduating from college, they moved to the Dallas, Texas metropolitan area where they began their family. Malinda began her teaching career in Lewisville, Texas in 1979. Malinda was an outstanding educator for 32 years. She loved to teach middle school (6th, 7th and 8th graders). She taught 20 years in Lewisville ISD and was part of the team that developed the Gifted and Talented program and curriculum there. She taught Gifted and Talented children for 10 of those years. After her husband’s transfer for work in Mississippi, Malinda continued her teaching career in the Rankin County School District. While teaching middle school, she partnered with another teacher and they developed a program to help “at risk children” performing below grade level. All of these children went on to graduate from high school and many went on to attend college. Malinda was selected by the school district to become a Resource Specialist to help improve teaching methods to enhance student learning (K-12). Through her leadership and guidance, students’ testing scores improved significantly. As a result, the school district expanded the Resource Specialist Program, further making a major impact on the education of students.
After returning to Texas, Malinda taught Geometry at Boyd High School in McKinney, Texas. She became the department Team Leader, helping to guide and support other teachers on her team. She retired in June 2012, but continued to tutor her grandsons, niece and neighbors’ children.
As a career educator, Malinda was selected multiple times as an “Outstanding Teacher of America” by her students, awarded “Teacher of the Year” for Lewisville ISD (TX), selected as a 2001 USA Today “All-USA First Teacher Team” and the Jackson, MS Metro Chamber of Commerce “Teacher of the Year”.
Malinda loved working on the family genealogy and helped others discover their family history. Malinda was an active member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) with the Bernardo de Galvez Chapter in Allen, Texas.
The family would like to thank their family, friends and caregivers for all their prayers, support, help and compassion that they provided to us. God bless you all.
Malinda was an absolute joy to be around and I am proud to have known her. She was my very first prospective member and I will miss her greatly. From all of the ladies in the General Bernardo de Galvez chapter our hearts and prayers are with you.
Malinda was our 4th musketeer. Tyke (Elaine), Marie, and I will miss her terribly. I’m glad she is with God and is no longer suffering.
May peace and comfort guide you during this difficult time. My thoughts and prayers are with you.
So very sorry to hear about Malinda’s death.
She was a special lady. We will truly miss her
at D A R. Blessings and comfort to all the family,
One of the first people I met in my first year of teaching for the Rankin County MS school system was Malinda Burke. I could not have made it through those first years of teaching without Malinda. This first encounter grew into a lasting friendship even after she and Dan returned to Texas. Our circle of friends from the area visited as often as we could with Malinda and Dan. These visits were dubbed by Malinda as “Camp Overbrook” for their address in Parker. Through “camp” I met more friends of Malinda’s and these visits I will cherish always. Malinda was passionate about many things especially education. It is difficult to define the person of Malinda Burke in one word but one word I would choose would be supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!!!
Malinda Burke was one of the first people I met my first year of teaching with the Rankin County District of MS. This professional relationship grew into a lasting friendship. Our circle of friends from the area visited as often as we could. Malinda dubbed these visits “Camp Overbrook” for their address in Parker. If I had to define the person of Malinda Burke in one word, the word would be supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!!!!
Malinda Burke was one of the first people I met my first year of teaching with the Rankin County School District of MS. I could not have made it through those first years without Malinda. This first encounter grew into a lasting friendship. Our circle of friends from the area visited as often as we could. Malinda dubbed these visits
“Camp Overbrook” for their address in Parker. Through “camp” I met more friends of Malinda’s and these visits I will cherish always. Malinda was passionate about many things especially education. It is difficult to define the person of Malinda Burke in one word. One word I would choose would be supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!!!
Malinda was magic. She could make anything and anyone interesting, a key trait for a master educator and making friends. I will miss her laughter and wit, (Will never pass an image of a chicken without laughing). Malinda inspired people around her to be their best. Knowing Malinda made me a better teacher, a better person and
. . . member of the DAR! Most of all, she made me feel special, especially when I needed it. She had many friends and family that would say the same. What a gift.
Malinda, I will miss my “Best Friend Forever” but will always think of you everyday.
Love you to the stars and back.
Marie Kunz
We are deeply saddened by your loss. Our thoughts are with you. We fondly remember our occasional suppers at Fernando’s and I truly appreciated your and Malinda’s kindness prior to Dee getting to Pearl.
Malinda Burke meant more to me than she ever knew. She was my English teacher in the GT program at Forestwood Middle School (1996-1998). Words cannot begin to express how profoundly she shaped my life. I have the most vivid memories of her classroom because she was simply the most intelligent, engaging teacher I ever had.
I remember vividly being sprawled out on her classroom floor tackling reams of Miller Analogies, I remember reading the Scarlet Letter in 8th grade with her and just being in awe. I read my own children The Phantom Tollbooth and A Wrinkle in Time because I fell in love with language through those books and her discussions of them in class.
I went on to get a Master’s in English literature because of Mrs. Burke, and am now in my 10th year of teaching. If I am ever half as good a teacher as Mrs. Burke was, I’ll know I have done something right. I still pick up my classroom phone the same way I remember Mrs. Burke doing it all those years ago: “Burke’s bar and grill, you kill it, we grill it.” Her charm knew no bounds, and at the young age of 11, her every word and gesture seemed to me infused with wit and insight.
I owe her a debt I can never repay, and I regret deeply I was never able to tell her as much. She was the best teacher I ever had. I hope she would like knowing that I am carrying on the work. A belated goodbye Mrs. Burke. Thank you for everything.
Oh my goodness! I have just found out of Malinda’s passing. My prayers to her family as I know she left a huge hole in your lives. My mother, Rosalee Bagby, taught Malinda in 6th grade and she was one of my mother’s favorite students. Melinda would later teach me piano in her home.
I visited both Malinda after my mother’s passing and we shared wonderful stories together. She fondly recalled ‘A Wrinkle in Time’ and shared that she also taught that book to her students.
I will miss her dearly.