Obituaries

Our beloved sister, mother, and friend, Margaret “Peg” Mary Etta Burns Mazen, passed peacefully on September 14^th, 2022 at her home in Seattle, Washington, just as she wanted, surrounded by family.

Ever a caregiver, Peg’s winding path through life always centered family, community, and humanity. Born to a strong Irish-Catholic family, Peg was raised in Sands Point, Long Island, NY, graduated from Our Lady of Mercy Academy where she excelled in athletics and academics; she then attended Rosemont College where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy/Psychology after spending her junior year in Rome making the closest of friends. She moved to San Francisco where she became a young mother to two beautiful boys and worked to balance family life, education, and a budding career in early education. She attained a Master of Arts in Child Development/Family Relationships at San Jose State University. As she grew in her career, she grew in family too – adding two daughters through marriage and a fifth and final child as she began to settle in the great Northwest.

Peg spent her career in the non-profit sector serving, advocating for, and elevating the needs of children and families. After 20+ years with Children’s Home Society of WA, she retired from her leadership position (Vice President of Strategic Planning and New Business Development) and spent a number of years as a highly sought-after Early Head Start program consultant.

Peg spent her last 10 years traveling with her children and her friends and celebrating all that these deep relationships had to offer. In June 2022 Peg was diagnosed with stage IV metastatic breast cancer. She spent her last few months setting the path for her transition from this life – visiting with loved ones, attracting the best care team one could find [huge thank you to SCCA and UW Medicine], and setting herself up for a peaceful crossing to the other shore. Ultimately, she helped each of us to make all the right decisions on her behalf so that she could have the most peaceful passing in her own home, at her pace, in her way.

Peg was preceded in death by her parents, John Ambrose Burns and Mary Irene Reynolds, and two of her siblings, Mary Irene Marron and John “Jack” Ambrose Burns Jr. She is survived by her brother William Burns, her children Chris Hansen [Kimberly Airey], Heather Mazen Korbmacher [Arnold Korbmacher], Eric Hansen [Kathleen Hansen], Oriana Mazen Burns [John Burns III], and Nicole Mazen [Colin Johnson], as well as 11 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren.

Information about a memorial can be found at https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/pegburnsmazen

In lieu of flowers, Peg asked that people share their love with one another now (don’t wait), and that any gifts be directed to one of her favorite non-profit organizations: Encompass Northwest (https://www.encompassnw.org/donate/), Children’s Home Society of Washington (https://www.childrenshomesociety.org/donate), or Amara (https://amarafamily.org/donate/