Fiona Jean Burdick

Fiona Jean Burdick, age 52, of Manassas, Virginia, passed away on Wednesday, January 8, 2020, at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, Virginia. She was born on August 23, 1967, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, the youngest daughter of Jesse L. Harding and Mary F. (Walters) Harding. Fiona was raised in Taber, Alberta and graduated from W. R. Myers High School in 1985. She attended Brigham Young University where she met her husband, David, during her first month of college. By the end of the school year, they were engaged and later married on December 20, 1986, in the Cardston Alberta Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Fiona and Dave made their first home in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, where Dave served as an Army Field Artillery Officer and Fiona continued her education at Cameron University. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology and sociology in 1989 and was employed by Cameron University as an admissions advisement counselor, and the university’s representative at Fort Sill. In 1991, Fiona and Dave relocated to Germany where Dave continued his Army career and Fiona worked as a career transition counselor, helping soldiers that are leaving the Army develop resumes and interview skills for obtaining jobs in the civilian sector. She began a 27-year federal civil service career in 1992, working in Army Child Development, Addiction Recovery Counseling, and Army Community Services at various sites in Germany. While in Germany, Fiona obtained a Masters of Education degree from Boston University and began a Ph.D. program in Organizational Leadership with the University of Oklahoma, one of 30 students selected from over 200 applicants for the inaugural cohort. Fiona and Dave left Germany in 2002, and settled in Manassas, VA, where Fiona became the registrar for the Near East South Asia Center of the National Defense University. She later served as a Senior Family Programs Instructor at the U.S. Army Morale Welfare and Recreation (MWR) Academy, and then served on the faculty of the Army Management Staff College, as a Professor of Civilian Leadership. Fiona left the Department of the Army in 2012, to take a position in the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement of the Department of Interior, where she served as a Leadership Development and Employee Engagement Program Manager. Four years later, she joined the Department of Defense Civilian Personnel Advisory Service as an Instructional Systems Designer in the Leader Development Programs Branch, the position she held when she passed away. Fiona was a devoted wife of over 33 years to her eternal companion, Dave, and a loving mother to a son, Scott (Brittany), and a daughter, Regan, the joys of her life. She was happiest when she was with her family, and the kids remember with great fondness her reading aloud all seven Harry Potter novels to them while on road trips in Europe and across the U.S. and Canada. She is also survived by her sister Sheila (Brent) Gibson; and her nieces, Kirsti (Dwight) Forsyth, Jillian Gibson, and Hayley Gibson; all from Alberta, Canada. Fiona was proudly Canadian, and instilled in her husband and children a love of Canada, and particularly her home town of Taber, Alberta. Her weekly phone calls with Sheila helped her maintain her connection to her family and heritage, and she returned home every few years throughout her life. Fiona was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where she served in many volunteer positions with youth and women’s programs. One of the highlights of her church service was the three-year service mission she fulfilled with her husband helping adult learners begin or resume college education. She enjoyed crafting, quilting, crocheting, reading, movies, and travel. Fiona was proud that she recently completed visiting all 50 states, most of them on road trips with her family. She also traveled extensively throughout Europe, and visited South Korea and Japan. A favorite destination was Salzburg, Austria where she enjoyed visiting sites where “The Sound of Music” was filmed. She enjoyed attending concerts, plays, and opera with her family, with the National Memorial Day Concert at the U.S. Capitol and “Opera in the Outfield” at Nationals Stadium among her favorite annual events. Her family and friends will remember her as a very loving, compassionate person, who went out of her way to serve anyone, and who brightened every room she entered. She tackled every challenge with enthusiasm and strived for perfection in her work, her hobbies, and her service. She faced her brief battle with anaplastic thyroid cancer with tremendous courage and faith, determined to win the fight. However, she accepted the Lord’s will in all things and has now joined her parents in serving once again in the world of spirits, awaiting the glorious resurrection and promise of life everlasting with her eternal family. The family will receive friends on Monday, January 13, 2020, from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm, at Pierce Funeral Home, 9609 Center Street, Manassas, VA. A funeral service will be held on January 14, 2020, at 10:00 am, in the Centreville Chapel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 14150 Upperridge Dr, Centreville, VA 20121. Interment will follow at Quantico National Cemetery, Quantico, VA. Flowers may be sent to the funeral home or donations may be made in Fiona’s honor to the American Thyroid Association, www.thyroid.org. Condolences may be sent to: www.piercefh.com

Fiona Jean Burdick

August 23, 1967 - January 8, 2020