CRANSTON -- Mary Dolbier Burkhardt, a Providence Journal editor
known universally as Mimi, was stricken Friday at her home, 1329
Narragansett Blvd., in Edgewood, and was pronounced dead in Rhode Island
Hospital. She was the wife of Andrew B. Burkhardt, retired city editor.
Born on Jan. 9, 1952 in Providence, Mrs. Burkhardt, 52, was a daughter
of the late Maurice W. Dolbier, former literary editor of The Journal,
and the late Mary Helen (Brown) Dolbier.
She attended the Lincoln School, in Providence, and St. Hilda's and St.
Hugh's School, in New York. She also studied art at the Museum School,
Boston, and received a degree from the University Without Walls,
Providence.
A prolific artist, Mrs. Burkhardt displayed her works at the Providence
Art Club in the 1970s. She set aside her art endeavors in 1980, about
the time she joined The Journal as a nightside copy editor. She rapidly
acquired a reputation as a meticulous and incisive editor.
She had worked the last six years shepherding new reporters, especially,
in her capacity as a training editor, those launching their careers.
"Reporters loved to have Mimi as their editor because they knew she
would always make their stories better," said Carol J. Young, deputy
executive editor and longtime friend.
"When she worked with reporters, especially on projects, she became as
involved in the topic as they were. She kept in constant touch as they
reported, she felt their angst as they wrote, and, when the project was
over, she shared their pleasures of seeing it in print."
One such project produced a story in 2003 when writer Kate Bramson
reported the traumatic ordeals of a teenage girl raped by a classmate in
Burrillville. The resulting story, "Rape in a Small Town," won a $10,000
award from the Dart Foundation, which Bramson shared with Mrs. Burkhardt
and photographer Bob Thayer.
Mrs. Burkhardt was a noted wordsmith who usually triumphed at Scrabble
and other word games. She was the coordinator of The Journal's staff
writing contest, and also was active in updating the newspaper's writing
style book.
Her other hobbies included gardening and sailing.
She was a member of the Edgewood Yacht Club and very active in parent
groups at her children's schools. For the past several years she had
arranged for a holiday wreath at Rhodes School that bore tags
designating age and gender of unidentified, disadvantaged children.
Rhodes students then selected tags and purchased gifts to be delivered
to the children.
Besides her husband, Mrs. Burkhardt leaves two children, Andrew Clark
Burkhardt and Mary C. "Molly" Burkhardt, both at home; and a son, Eric
Lavendier of Norton, Mass., from a previous marriage. In addition, she
leaves three stepdaughters, Laura Harding of Durham, N.H., Elizabeth
"Mimi" Sevin of Barrington, and Katherine Burkhardt of Denver; a sister,
Stephanie H. Powell of Cranston; seven grandchildren; and 10 nieces and
nephews. She was the sister of the late Cordelia "Kit" Malin.
The funeral service will be held Wednesday at 10 a.m. in Trinity Church,
139 Ocean Ave., Cranston. Burial will be in Swan Point Cemetery,
Providence.
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