Gail Burgermaster (1950 - 2003)

On Wednesday, November 26, 2003, Gail Burgermaster, loving mother, passed away just days past her birthday at the age of 53. Gail was born on November 10, 1950 in Newark, NJ to George and Gertrude (Clark) Burgermaster. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Norwich University in 1989, after prior coursework at Cornell University and the University of Rochester and a break to raise her family; she was completing her PhD in education at the time of her death. Gail loved art and photography. She had an extraordinary observational acumen for all artwork and enjoyed visiting countless art museums and galleries throughout New York City, Central and Upstate New York, Madrid, and Africa, among other places. She completed an extensive collection of her own pastels, watercolors, and ink and pencil drawings throughout her life, with a prolific addition of original pieces in calligraphy and traditional Chinese painting. She also loved the natural world and she blended her two main pastimes to create an extensive mixed media art portfolio, which she displayed at Norwich University for family and many friends. She contributed original artwork to local organizations for media use and volunteered considerable time to her communities. Gail loved classical literature and was a gifted writer. She had a deep appreciation for classical and social histories, which she also combined with her love of the natural world, often quoting writers like Thoreau, Yeats, and Steinbeck. She frequently told the story of how she came to love nature and art, sharing details about her observations of the seasons as a child, which she elaborated on in her thesis. She was an avid music lover, collecting many instruments over the years and attending countless local and intercontinental concerts. She was known for her adroit humor, observant worldview, exceptional devotion to her family and work, and her compassion. Gail was preceded in death by her father, George, and her mother, Gertrude. She is survived by her son, David, and her daughter, Elisabeth, her sister, her brother, and several cousins, nieces, and nephews.