Borden Burck Stevens

Mary Borden Burck was born and raised in Pasadena, California and in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  Her mother Barbara was a gifted musician who encouraged her five children to perform.  In her younger years Borden loved to entertain with her beautiful soprano voice and great comedic timing.

Borden attended boarding school at The Shipley School in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. As a teenager, she decided to use her middle name Borden rather than Mary. She was a unique, dynamic young woman and the unusual name Borden suited her perfectly.  Throughout her childhood and young adult years, Borden and her family spent summers at their lakeside property on beautiful Oyster Bay in Charlevoix, Michigan.  The bay was the backdrop for many of Borden’s best memories through the years, hosting parties and performances with her family and friends.

After prep school she attended Colorado College and then moved to California, where she met her husband, Rodney Stevens, in San Francisco.  They married in 1966 and had two children, Scott and Joelle.  Borden ultimately returned to Cedar Rapids to raise her children with the help of her mother Barbara. She was a caring and fun-loving mother with a talent for making every holiday extra special.

On the career side she worked in the fields of education and healthcare, and fulfilled a life goal when she returned to college, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work from Mount Mercy College.  After many years in Cedar Rapids, she retired to San Clemente, California in 2002 to be a hands-on grandmother.  She spent her final years happily playing the role of Nana, entertaining her grandchildren with fun games of make-believe in her cozy apartment.  

Borden was a woman of many artistic gifts.  In addition to singing, she enjoyed painting, writing, and performing in local theater.  Borden was proud of her family history and spent many hours researching the history of her ancestors.  Most of all she loved to share in the accomplishments of her children, grandchildren, brothers and sisters.  She could always be counted on to lend an ear, and had a gift of making others feel good with her insightful compliments, or cheering them up with her wonderful sense of humor.  She will be dearly missed.