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Date: 12/12/2023
NORTHAMPTON — A fundraiser for a memorial tree honoring the life of Smith College alumna Lisa Burke, who passed away earlier this year, is currently in the works until the end of the month.
Friends and family of Burke, a 2001 graduate of Smith and longtime treasurer at the school for her class, are honoring her life with a Patriot American Elm tree that is currently planted outside of the Morrow House on the Morrow/Wilson Terrace in the quad on Smith’s campus.
Burke passed away from stomach cancer at the age of 43 back in September.
“I think coming through some of the memorials and celebration services, there was an interest from Lisa’s friends and family to do something in her memory at Smith, because we all had good times and celebrations together at the college,” said Megan Russell, a good friend of Burke’s and one of the co-chairs of this fundraiser.
According to Russell, the tree, which is paired with its twin on the opposite end of the terrace, is placed to define the entire space of the far end of the quad for decades to come. The area is important because it provides a frame for the commencement stage every year and the newly-planted tree is also right outside Burke’s sophomore year room.
“Lisa really loved nature and being outside, so the opportunity to remember her with this tree I think was a good way to think about it,” said Russell, who also serves as the co-president of Smith’s class of 2001.
Born in Niskayuna, New York, Burke graduated from Smith College with a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts and served as the treasurer of Smith’s class of 2001 for over two decades. She also earned a master’s degree at Georgetown University for sports management.
While at Smith, Burke was known as a jack-of-all-trades who participated in myriad of on-campus activities like skiing swimming and field hockey. She was also part of the college’s house presidents.
“Lisa was one of those people who everyone knew brought good energy,” Russell said.
Burke spent a lot of her professional years holding integral positions within grant management departments in several institutions and universities including Tufts University and Georgetown University. More recently, she was the assistant financial manager of sponsored funds at Skidmore College.
Beyond that though, she was a friend to everyone, including Laura Crimaldi, a Smith alum and co-chair of fundraising for the memorial tree.
Crimaldi told Reminder Publishing that Burke was assigned to be her roommate in Paris, France, in 1999, where they spent time with a host family and took six weeks of French courses. She said they also studied abroad in Geneva, Switzerland, during their junior year of college.
“Lisa had a magnetic personality,” said Crimaldi. “She spread joy wherever she went. She was ready for anything. And she always approached people offering friendship, and that’s what set Lisa apart.”
Russell, meanwhile, said she met Burke at Smith’s prospective students’ weekend when they were incoming Smith students at 17 years old. Russell said she remembers primarily knowing Burke when they were both assigned to Morrow House, which was one of the quad houses at the college.
“Lisa quickly became one of my really good friends,” Russell said. “She was really a friend to everyone.”
Burke’s affable personality illuminated her surroundings wherever she went, which therefore lead to a lot of great memories. Crimaldi fondly remembers a birthday party Burke organized for her when they first moved to Paris.
“My birthday was coming up a few days after we arrived, and she organized a birthday party at our host apartment with a chocolate cake that I have never forgotten,” Crimaldi said. “I think that is a good example of the way Lisa treated others and the care and concern that she showed for people in considering that I might be lonely on my birthday when I didn’t know anyone in a foreign country.”
Russell said it was hard to settle on one fond experience with Burke since there were so many, but she did highlight a moment at Smith where Burke transformed one of their Morrow House trash cans in the hallway into a nerds candy box. She then proceeded to get everyone involved in the art project.
“Some people were running around and vaulting over the trash can, which sounds nuts, but to me it showed [Burke’s] positive energy and her willingness to get people involved,” Russell said. “Rallying people together is the key moments I think of.”
The fundraiser for the memorial tree honoring Burke will go until Dec. 31. The co-chairs have a goal of $15,000 since that is the price Smith offered the tree for. Readers can visit the Smith College Giving website, givecampus.com/campaigns/14740/donations/new?, to donate online. When choosing a designation on the form, donors are asked to select “Other +” in the dropdown menu.
Donors will then click in the designation field and type over “Other” with the text: “Memorial tree in memory of Lisa Burke ’01.’”
Community members can also donate through check. If they choose that route, they must write “Memorial tree in memory of Lisa Burke ‘01’” in the check memo field and mail it to The Smith Fund, Smith College Gift Accounting, 33 Elm Street, Northampton, MA 01063.