Karen Leslie Burke

Karen Leslie Burke of Paris, France, passed away on May 21, 2018, at the Marie Curie Institute in Paris, France, after a valiant struggle with cancer. She loved her friends, music, art, literature, fine cuisine, travel, all things French, and her three precious dogs Ootsie (deceased), Righi (deceased), and Hayden (5 years old). Born in Detroit, Michigan in 1945, Leslie pursued her childhood dream of moving to France in her early 20s, leaving her college studies in music to pursue singing and songwriting in Paris. After a rocky start working for Parisian families as an au pair, Leslie began singing and playing her guitar in local restaurants, attracting a loyal following. Her growing renown as a folk singer landed her a 7-year contract with French recording company Pathe Marconi where Leslie was hailed as a new Joan Baez. Leslie enjoyed a sparkling career as a singer with hits "Sur Mon Blue Jean", "En charter", and "Tu ne sais pas combien je t'aime". A Parisian magazine, Leslie, was launched featuring Leslie and other stars of the age. Leslie, with her guitar and enchanting voice, made appearances at numerous concerts and conferences, recorded songs for Coca Cola and for the film "M comme Mathieu", and appeared on various television and radio shows in the early 1970s. She was a proud member of the SACEM, the Societe des Auteurs, Compositeurs et Editeurs de Musique in France. In the 1980s, Leslie returned to America to complete her college degree in French at Bennington College and then a Masters degree in French at Middlebury College. She continued her studies at the Institute of French Studies at New York University in New York City. After a brief stint working at a New York City law firm, Leslie returned to France, this time to Villefranche-sur-Mer on the Mediterranean coast where she launched her writing and English teaching career. She wrote for the Societe des Bains de Mer in Monaco, the Society Magazine of Monaco, the Monte Carlo-Cote d'Azur Magazine of Monaco, and for Arkopharma and Laboratoires Asepta, both in Monaco. In addition to writing, Leslie enjoyed years of teaching in university and commercial settings, including teaching at the University of Nice, at various business schools and the Chamber of Commerce in Paris, and the American University in Paris. Leslie eventually became a French citizen and lived for the last two decades in Paris where she had an active life replete with cultural outings and excursions, friendships, and Franco-American associations. She was an active member in the Paris Alumnae/i Network, the Sortileges et Musique du Monde, and the Association des Americains residant a l'etranger. Leslie loved to keep connected to people in the 12th arrondissement where she resided along with friends she had made around the world via long walks in the neighborhood with her dog, heart-to-heart telephone visits, letter writing especially around Christmas and New Year's, emailing, and travelling. She explored every corner of France, as well as destinations in Russia, Italy, Belgium, Morocco, and Slovakia. On her occasional trips to the US she enjoyed visiting with friends up and down the east coast and with family in Hendersonville, North Carolina. Leslie drew her friends close to her in Paris, creating a veritable family circle around her and her dear dog Hayden the Harper, His Master's Voice. Most recently, Leslie loved travelling with Hayden and showing him at various Jack Russell competitions around France. Hayden, a charming long-haired Parson Jack Russell Terrier, is currently looking for a forever home. Karen Leslie Burke was preceded in death by her father and mother, Henry Burke (Detroit, MI) and Mary Laura Merkle (Hendersonville, NC), and by her brother Allen Burke (Detroit MI). She is survived by step-siblings in Colorado, and cousins in Michigan and Florida. A funeral service was held for her in Paris, France on June 1st. Her burial service will be held at Hinsdillville Cemetery in Bennington, Vermont, at 11 AM, June 29th, 2018. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Karen Leslie Burke's name to Bennington College and Middlebury College. Her burial service will be held at Hinsdillville Cemetery in Bennington, Vermont, at 11 AM, June 29th, 2018.