Teresa Burch

Teresa Ann Burch, a long-time resident of the McHenry, Maryland, died this week.  Teresa was born on May 18, 1943, in Cumberland and grew up there on Old Town Road with her father, Wilbur Guy Miller, her mother, Thelma Miller, and her best friend and sister, Thelma Roberta Sherman.  She attended Fort Hill High School and graduated from Frostburg State University with a degree in education.
She met her husband, John Jefferson Burch, II ("Jeff"), at Frostburg State and he proposed to her on the lawn in front of Frost Hall.  After graduation, they started their wonderful life together.  They made their home in New Carrollton, Maryland where they raised their children.  She taught middle school, and later transitioned to the business world and worked at Victor O. Schinnerer & Co.  After retirement, she and Jeff moved to Deep Creek Lake.  Teresa and Jeff's love of Deep Creek Lake cannot be overstated.  They loved the summers, the water, and the people.  They loved spending the afternoons out on the water in their boat, stopping at Arrowhead for lunch.  After we lost Jeff in 2010, Teresa continued her life at Deep Creek Lake where she was an active member of the Democratic Club, and was a volunteer at Garrett Community Memorial Hospital.  Teresa is survived by her son, John Jefferson Burch, III of Eldersburg, MD and his wife Wendy, her daughter, Jennifer Burch Dempsey of Atlanta, GA and her husband Brian, her sister Thelma Roberta Sherman, her nephew, Timothy Sherman, and her companion, Charlie Suthpin.  She is also survived by the five people that were the absolute loves of her life, her grandchildren - Ben, Jack, Becky, Stephanie, and Sammy.  She thought they were perfect in every way and they brought her an enormous about of joy and pride.  Teresa will be deeply missed by her family and friends but they are thankful that she is at peace, and that she and Jeff are together once again.  The family is grateful for the outpouring of love and support they have received during her last few days.  Visitation will be held in the C & S FREDLOCK FUNERAL HOME, P.A., 21 N 2nd St., Oakland on Wednesday, May 17th from 5 to 7 PM.  A celebration of Teresa's life will be held in the St. Peter at the Lake Center, Mosser Road, McHenry on Thursday, May 18th at 11 AM with Fr. Doug Kenney as celebrant.  Interment will follow in the Pleasant Valley Cemetery.  In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you make a donation in her honor to Garret Regional Medical Center, where she was a volunteer, at www.gcmh.com/donate.