Margaret Burlingame

Margaret Kleinhein Burlingame, mother, mentor, and librarian died May 3, 2021. She was born to Sanford and Mae Kleinhein on May 29, 1926 in Osawatomie, Kansas. She grew up in Kansas and was the Salutatorian of her graduating class from Osawatomie High School in 1943. Margaret attended the University of Kansas before transferring to the University of New Mexico (UNM) and earning her degree in English/ Business Administration. It was at the UNM library that Margaret met Robert Northcutt. Burlingame, her husband and father of her four children. Robert and Margaret married in 1947 and she left New Mexico to support her husband in completing his PhD in English Literature at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. They moved to Great Britain in 1953 where Robert studied as a Fulbright Scholar. Returning in1954 they settled in El Paso, Texas when Dr. Burlingame served as a member of the English Department at the University of Texas at El Paso. All four of their children were born in El Paso and Margaret raised her four children over the next two decades. In 1973, following her divorce, she experienced a renaissance and left El Paso for Denton, Texas to earn a Master's in Library Science (MLS) from North Texas State University. Joined by her three youngest children in Denton, she managed to care for them and still earn a 4.0 GPA in her MLS.

In 1974, she returned to El Paso and was hired to serve as Reader's Advisor, a job that was created and kept open for her until she received her degree by the Library Director John Wayne Smith. Two years later Margaret was promoted to Head of Adult Services and that same year became Library Manager of the new Westside Library. The library grew from a small trailer to a 3000 square foot (sf) space in the Westside Recreation Center. In 1988, Margaret working with the Friends of Westside Library, designed and opened a new 10,000 sf freestanding library, built completely with donated funds. The Westside Branch of the El Paso Public Library quickly became the busiest branch in El Paso, with more books checked out from the Westside Branch than the large main library in downtown El Paso. Upon her retirement from the El Paso Public Library, Margaret was named "The Best Friend of the Westside Library" with a plaque installed in the Westside Library reading "Margaret Burlingame, our First and Best Friend".

Following her retirement, Margaret traveled and volunteered in libraries throughout the world, including Wales, the Netherlands, and Canada. However, New Mexico held Margaret's heart and after moving to Santa Fe in 1997 she spent the next twenty years serving libraries associated with the New Mexico Museum of Art, Ghost Ranch Conference Center, Santa Fe Opera, St. John's College and Armand Hammer United World College. Margaret never lost her desire to learn and explore. She shared the following in an interview: "I worked my entire career in one system, however in order to learn, it is always useful to see how others do things." She was never intimidated by the unfamiliar always welcoming new ideas with a curiosity that was never sated.

The last two years of Margaret's life were difficult, and she was cared for by those she had loved and supported. Her darling niece Kim Gray who was by her side when she left this world, and her devoted son-in-law Joseph Diab provided her counsel and guidance which greatly eased her departure. Finally, Margaret was blessed by the service of her devoted caregivers, Carolyn Fitzgerald, Lisa Wilcox, Lydia Schmutz and her hospice nurse Velma Rinaldi. In addition, the leadership and care she received at Fairwinds was exceptional and all the staff treated her with great kindness and respect, which allowed for a much more graceful passing.

Margaret was loved by her family and will be remembered by her son David Hartley Burlingame, her daughter-in-law Ann Sutherland Burlingame, her son Randall Sanford Burlingame, his wife Kim Murray Burlingame, her daughter Ann Mary Burlingame Diab, her son-in-law Frederick Joseph Diab and Philip Haniel Burlingame; grandchildren, Avry Burlingame (deceased), Kyra Tess Burlingame, Ruby Burlingame, and her namesake Margaret Elizabeth Diab "Maggie." Also by her dear younger sister Pati Kleinhein Kamerman, her niece Kim Patrice Gray and Kim's husband Seth Wilson Gray, her grandnephew, SethWilson Isaac Gray, her grandniece Tricia Brett Gray; her nephew Brett Padraic Kamerman, her nephew Trent Irving Sanford Kamerman, his wife Kristen Drage Kamerman, her grandniece Brittany Kamerman, her grandnephew Drage Vaughn Kamerman and her grandniece Sydney Mae Kamerman. Finally, Margaret's sweet cat, Kitty (also known as Joe), made her final years more enriching and fulfilling and was the result of some gentle bullying from her grand-daughter Maggie and grandniece Tricia.

There is no service planned to honor Margaret, but please if you wish to remember Margaret consider a gift to Ambercare Hospice New Mexico www.Ambercare.com