Sarah ‘Sally’ LaDuke Burdick
March 24, 1934 - Jan. 13, 2024
Sally Burdick, 89, of Oconomowoc, passed away peacefully Saturday, January 13, 2024, at Shorehaven in Oconomowoc. She was born March 24, 1934, in Madison, WI, to the late Charles and Ruth (Pierce) LaDuke.
She graduated from UW-Madison in 1956 with a BS in Physical Therapy. Sally married Ron Burdick on October 12, 1957. They enjoyed 54 wonderful years of marriage. In college, Sally originally wanted to major in pre-med, but at that time, it was perceived that a woman could not be a doctor and also be a wife and mother. Sally pursued her love of helping people by becoming a physical therapist while balancing her role as a wife to Ron and a mother to their four children.
Sally loved life and didn’t slow down after her kids grew up. She continued her rewarding work as a physical therapist and volunteered her time with the Lioness Club. Sally and Ron traveled internationally and became snowbirds after retirement, splitting their time between Wisconsin and Florida. They also enjoyed travelling to visit family who had spread out across the country. After impacting the lives of her patients for over 49 years, she retired at the age of 71.
In 2016 she moved to Lake Terrace at Shorehaven where her social calendar was always full playing Mahjong, bingo, bridge, hand and foot, tripoli, scrabble, rummikub and dominos. She walked daily and managed to average 11,000 steps per day. Daily, she and her friends would gather at 4 p.m. to share musings on how society has changed and reminisce about old times.
She was the matriarch of the LaDuke family and loved spending time with her children and grandchildren. She is further survived by her children David, John (Karen), Ruth (Bob) Northrup and Mary (Jim) Toebe; grandchildren Jonathan (Natoshia) Burdick, Christopher (Kristin) Burdick, Rene (fiancé Michael Smart) Toebe, Michael Northrup and Steven Northrup; and nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
Please join us in celebrating Sally’s life on Friday, March 1st at First Congregational UCC of Oconomowoc, 815 S. Concord Road, Oconomowoc, WI 53066. Visitation begins at 12 p.m. with a service at 1:30 p.m. and reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, if desired, please consider a memorial in Sally’s name to Shorehaven Foundation.
The family would like to recognize the staff and residents of Lake Terrace and Shorehaven for all their care and support.
Harder Funeral Home is serving the family. For more information, call 262-781-8350 or visit online at .