Elaine Burka Harvill was born February 3, 1948 in Washington, DC. She was the second child and first daughter to Sarabelle Kaufman Burka and Dr. Philip Burka.

As a native Washingtonian and flower child of the sixties, her free spirit fueled a passion for live music, deep friendships, and choosing jobs that involved helping others.  As a formidable dart player, she met her future husband George while hanging with friends playing darts at the 4 Provinces in Washington, DC. They fell in love and shortly after they married, their first child was born. Elaine deeply embraced motherhood, finding a new transformative calling in life as the self-proclaimed super mom (and the world agreed).  Her three children were her world and purpose in life, and her proudest achievement.

Elaine's motherhood became challenged in the early 90's when she began to experience a somewhat mysterious autoimmune illness that left her physically handicapped. She spent the next 30 years battling one illness and setback after another - but she ALWAYS kept fighting. She was the strongest person we will ever know.

Elaine went into the SICU at Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg, VA on the evening of October 5th, 2022 and experienced a rapid decline the following day. Her heart stopped the morning of October 7th, 2022 with her 3 children and husband of 43 years by her bedside, and she passed away. We are confident that endless family members, friends, and former pets were waiting to receive her at heaven's gates. We can only imagine that she strutted in there like a super model, ready for the reunion, because her body is finally whole again.

Anyone who knew Elaine knew her passion for her children and grandchildren, for being a kind and caring person, for being witty, for literature and art, and of course… for poodles.

Elaine Burka Harvill is survived by her brother Dr. Paul Burka (Leslie Burka), her husband George Harvill, and her 3 children and their families; Joel Harvill (Stephanie Brener-Harvill), Adrienne Harvill, and Meredith Cernak (Steve Cernak), as well as 5 (soon to be 6) grandchildren.