Cecile Burg
elevated JCjPI January 21, 1937 ~ February 16, 2026
elevated JCjPI Visitation
Sunday, February 22, 2026 from 2-5 p.m.
elevated JCjPI Holy Cross Catholic Funeral Home
211 Langstaff Road East, Thornhill, ON, L3T 3Z6
elevated JCjPI Funeral Mass – Chapel of St. Joseph (within the Funeral Home)
Monday, February 23, 2026 at 1:30 p.m.
elevated JCjPI To watch Mass live
elevated JCjPI Cremation
Assumption Catholic Crematorium
elevated JCjPI Obituary
elevated JCjPI Cecilia Hillegonda Maria Burg (nee van Rijn)
elevated JCjPI On Monday February 16, 2026 at 8:10 pm, God called Mum home. She died peacefully after a day celebrated with visits from family and friends – with music, prayer and heartfelt conversation where in response she wondrously provided us with smiles and nods.
elevated JCjPI Loving wife to Antoni James Burg for 63 years – deceased November 13, 2022.
elevated JCjPI Daughter of Theodoor van Rijn and Maria van Rijn (nee Hemmers).
elevated JCjPI Devoted mother of Lilian Christine and Kane Stewart; mother-in-law of Richard Perotto and Nancy Yeuk-May Burg (nee Lau).
elevated JCjPI Adoring grandmother of Jasmine Marie, London James, Matthew James, Chalene Danyelle, Marie-Claire, and Vicki (Mike); great-grandmother of Heather, Aiden, and Cecilia Maria.
elevated JCjPI Cecile was a hard working dedicated working mother.
elevated JCjPI She will be remembered for her love of God and devotion to Mary.
elevated JCjPI She will also be remembered for her sense of fun, and her kindness cultivating many friendships with her involvement in the church communities in which she lived both in Ontario and once retired in Florida.
elevated JCjPI With her caring nurturing nature and sense of order, she was perfectly suited to her career as a Montessori Teacher and then Vice Principal of the Children’s House at the Toronto Montessori Schools.
elevated JCjPI Cecile developed friendships with both residents and staff at the Meadows of Aurora over her last 5 years first owning a condo then moving into Sandalwood to receive the extra care she required once she fractured her shoulder and then on to Oakdale supporting Mum after her stroke in September 2025. We extend many thanks to the staff at the Meadows for their loving care of our Mum.
elevated JCjPI Visitation: Sunday February 22 from 2 – 5 pm
elevated JCjPI Funeral Mass Monday, February 23 at 1:30 pm
elevated JCjPI St. Joseph Chapel – Holy Cross Funeral Home
elevated JCjPI 211 Langstaff Road East, Thornhill, Ontario.
elevated JCjPI Reception immediately following the Funeral Mass in the Reception Hall on site.
elevated JCjPI If desired and in Lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Vincent de Paul following the instructions provided at:
elevated JCjPI https://olgraceau.archtoronto.org/siteassets/media/pdfs/ssvp-donation-page2.pdf
Kane, thinking of you and your family during this difficult time. Sending you prayers for peace, comfort, and healing.
Sincere condolences,
Ashifa Jadavji
Kane, Nancy, Lllian, Rick grandchildren and loved ones, I would like to express my sincere condolences with the departure of your Mom to be with her beloved Toni. May you find the strength to carry on. Memories are wonderful mementos of a life well lived. Cecile loved life, her family and her teaching career. She doted on her grandchildren.
God speed Cecile and thanks for the memories.
Kane and family. I would like to express my deepest condolences on the loss of your mom. I am thinking of you all during this very difficult time. May the memories you made live in your hearts forever.
Kane and family, my deepest condolences. I have many fond memories of your mum while working with her at TMS, especially in Caledon.
May her memories live on.
It was a privilege to have met both Tony and Cecile many years ago. I enjoyed both of their sense of humour. Both were an inspiration. Rest in peace with Jesus.
My heartfelt condolences to the family. She was such a wonderful person.
It’s been a pleasure knowing your mom and your father
Lillian, my deepest condolences to you and your family. The loss of a mother is so great. May you be comforted and may your mom Cecile now rest in the peace of the Lord.
Lilian, my deepest condolences to you and your family at this time of great loss. May your mom rest in the peace of the Lord.
Kane and family, I send my deepest condolences on the loss of your dear mum. She was a huge part of my Montessori journey and will always be remembered. May you find solace in the happy memories you share and may she rest in peace.
Dear Kane, I send you my deepest sympathy on the death of your beloved mother, whom I was honoured to know as a fellow Montessorian. Cecile’s attention to detail inspired me and many others. Her friendship and that of Toni helped me and my husband, Ian, adapt to life in Toronto.
May Cecile’s dear spirit Rest in Peace.
Kane and
Lillian
Paula Glasgow just informed me of Cecile’s passing
I could never have operated Toronto Montessori school so well without Cecile. She was one of the best employees I have ever worked with in my life.
She was calm, competent, cooperative, smart and worked with great spirit
Cecile called me a few years ago shortly after your dad died. I invited her to Toronto to meet up with me, but she was not able.
I have very fond memories of both you Kane and Lillian.
It was so much fun to operate Montessori at that time.
‘
My most sincere condolences to Kane, Lilian and families. My children and I were lucky to have enjoyed Mrs Burg’s leadership at TMS and in friendship with her children and grandchildren for the years that follow.
May her humour and spark of energy find its way to hug each of you.
I met Cecile when I moved to the Devonshire. I enjoyed her beautiful smile and positive outlook.
I am thinking of her family who will miss her in the days to come.
Prayers for Cecile and all family members.
Dear Lilian, Kane, Richard and Nancy,
Hereby my condolences on the loss of your mother, my aunt Cily.
The times I met her and your father Tony were warm and loving
I wish you all a lot of strength in the bearing of this loss.
Sincerely,
Your cousin Ludger, Amsterdam
Dear Kane and family,
Your mother played a large part of our son’s Montessori time. She was an amazing dedicated teacher and we, and I am sure, many students, are very thankful for. She “nurtured and formed” a lot of their future lives.
I am so happy to have seen her recently and spoken with her. We used to say “she was small, but she was mighty!”.
She has a lot to be proud of! May she RIP. Sending our prayers and condolences to you all.
Daniela and Larry Kotack
Dear Kane, Lilian and families,
Sincere condolences on the passing of your mother, and wishing you strength and courage in this sad time. Cecile is remembered with great affection by so many who attended or worked at TMS over the long years of her extraordinary service. In her many roles she left an indelible impact on the lives of those she touched and the school community was made better by her presence and her unwavering influence for good. Those of us who are part of the current school community are the grateful beneficiaries of a life lived in the service and care of her faculty and staff, students and families.
Dear family,
Last night we attended Mass for your Mum, our mother’s youngest sister. Thank you for that opportunity. Our thoughts go back many years when both your father and mother joyfully visited and again later, when Cecile was an immense support for our mother. We are with you, offer our heartfelt condolences, share the faith that she has been reunited with your Dad and we pray for the progress of her soul:
“Cause her to dwell in a blissful abode, heal her griefs with the balm of Thy reunion, and, in accordance with Thy will, grant her admission to Thy holy Paradise. Let the angels of Thy loving-kindness descend successively upon her, and shelter her beneath Thy blessed Tree.”
Dear Kane, Nancy, and the entire family,
Our thoughts and prayers are with you during this difficult time. May you take comfort in knowing your Mom is reunited with your Dad in heaven.
Your Mom was an incredible woman. She embodied Dr. Montessori’s philosophy. She helped shape so many young children and adults alike. Your Mom had a profound impact on me, personally, during my journey as a Montessorian. She helped me become the educator I became.
Kane, we shared so many memories with your Mom and our fellow colleagues at both the Bayview campus and our cherished, Bolton campus. Those memories will live on in each of us and the children that were blessed to have known your Mom.
May God continue to comfort you and the entire family.
Love,
Daureena, Carlo,
Mitchell, Jonathan, & Daniel Facchini
Kane,
Sending heartfelt condolences to you on the loss of your dear mother.
May God sustain you and your family at this sad time.
Sincerely,
Nancy Knapp and family
Lillian and Rick, Kane and Nancy
I would like to offer to you my sincere condolences on the passing of your mother Cecile.
Your mom was a great lady and educator
You were great friends and neighbors when we lived on Chassie Court
I will keep all of you in my prayers