Weldon Lummus

Our bright light, Martha Weldon Lummus, died bravely and suddenly on December 23, 2025, from complications following the birth of her second child, a healthy baby boy. She was thirty-four years old. Weldon was foremost a loving wife and mother, but also a treasured daughter, sister, friend, colleague, and outstanding therapist. Each stage of her life was marked by a deep commitment to family, friends, the well-being of others, integrity, boundless curiosity, and accomplishment. She showed up. She paid attention. She loved with intention. These qualities shaped every relationship she held and will be remembered by all who knew her.

Weldon and her twin sister Elizabeth were born in Atlanta, Georgia on May 15, 1991, a joyful day. She attended Morris Brandon Elementary School and graduated from The Westminster Schools. She then graduated magna cum laude from Georgetown University, where she served as the Honor Council Co-Chair. She was a corps member for Teach For America, during which time she earned a Master of Education in Instructional Practice. She later earned a Master of Social Work at Columbia University, where she trained in the Dialectical Behavior Therapy Training and Implementation Lab to build her skills for the integration of theory and clinical practice.

Weldon and her husband Teddy met at Georgetown and began dating during their senior year. They were devoted and thoughtful partners, with a marriage grounded in mutual respect, quiet loyalty, and a shared sense of joy and ease. Weldon loved Teddy in ways that were practical and generous, through attentiveness, shared responsibility, and confidence in the life they were building together.

As a mother, Weldon was deliberate and unfailingly present. She prepared carefully, learned relentlessly, and met the work of parenting with joy and tenderness. From the moment her sons entered the world, they were anchored by her steadiness and devotion. The life Weldon and Teddy built together has been a wonder to behold, marked by contentment, laughter, and peace, especially in the years after their son Curran was born - years that many observed were the happiest of Weldon's life. She looked forward to nurturing Joe with the same unconditional love.

As a daughter and sister, Weldon carried forward the values with which she was raised - compassion, loyalty, curiosity, and a strong moral compass. As the eldest child (by two minutes), she took her role seriously - decisive, calm, and quietly in charge. She offered a presence that made the people around her feel safe to follow. To her twin sister, she was captain and companion, someone to trust, lean on, and come home to; their lives were intertwined not just by birth, but by a shared language and way of understanding the world. To her younger brother, Will, she was fiercely protective and dedicated, watching over him, challenging him when needed, and believing in him with a quiet confidence that did not waver.

Weldon was an extraordinary friend. She formed friendships that were deep and enduring and gave herself fully. She listened carefully, asked thoughtful questions, and stayed present through seasons of change, joy, and uncertainty. With friends, she balanced her natural reserve with a sharp sense of humor and fun and a love for shared rituals - long conversations, book clubs, and karaoke nights. Making Weldon laugh was, for family and friends, one of life's most satisfying joys.

As a therapist, Weldon was a practitioner of the highest order, advancing evidence-based practice with a rare blend of clinical rigor and empathy. From the early stages of her career, she had an uncanny ability to truly listen and a relentless focus and dedication to her patients' healing.

Weldon was exceptionally intelligent and profoundly curious. She read voraciously and was drawn to spaces of culture, history, and the arts where ideas were meant to be shared and examined together. At Georgetown, she majored in American Studies, an interdisciplinary field grounded in dialogue, community, and cultural inquiry. Learning, for Weldon, was pursued seriously, with warmth, humor, and connection to the people around her.

Weldon is survived by her husband, Teddy Burke; their sons, Curran and Joe; her parents, Pat and Bill Lummus; her twin sister, Elizabeth Lummus; her brother, Will Lummus; her grandparents, Martha and Bob Erwin; Teddy's parents, Nancy and Tim; Teddy's twin brother, Patrick, and his wife, Heidi, and their son, Callum; his older brother, Andrew, and younger brother, Timmy. Weldon and Teddy are blessed with large and boisterous families who loved Weldon dearly - grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. She was predeceased by her paternal grandparents, Dr. William Lummus and his wife Anne.

We have been and will be sustained by the outpouring of love, support, and prayers from family and friends. There will be a celebration of life in New York and a memorial service in Atlanta in the upcoming months. Details will be shared when they are available.

In lieu of flowers, please send memorial contributions to any of these three organizations that perfectly align with Weldon's values and her work as a therapist providing evidence-based care to adolescents and adults. You can give online to The Jed Foundation in New York City through their website, Donation in Memory of Someone The Jed Foundation, or mail a check to their Boston office: The Jed Foundation, PO Box 412945, Boston, MA 02241. You can give online to Ser Familia in Metro Atlanta through their website, Ser Familia, Inc. - One Time Donation to Ser Familia. You can give online to the DBT-Linehan Board of Certification™ (DBT-LBC™) through the “Support Us” section of their website, Home | DBT-Linehan Board of Certification. DBT-LBC is a non-profit organization dedicated to certifying mental health providers who treat the most challenging mental health conditions using this gold standard of evidence-based treatment.