Carolyn Burr

1949 - 2020

Carolyn Burr

Dr. Carolyn Keith Burr, a pediatric nurse practitioner and educator who helped save the lives of tens of thousands of people around the world through her work on the prevention of HIV/AIDS in pregnant women and children, died on Friday, October 30, at Chilton Hospital in New Jersey. She was 71. The cause of death was complications from acute pancreatitis.

While an undergraduate at Vanderbilt University Nursing School, Dr. Burr first became active in bringing health care to those in need. Joining a coalition of health professionals, she helped bring clinics to remote areas in the Tennessee mountains where health care was scant.

After obtaining a Masters Degree in Nursing from University of Rochester, she and her first husband, Richard Burr, moved to New Jersey in 1987. She took a job at Newark Children's Hospital in a special clinic devoted to treating mothers and their babies for an unknown disease, which later was identified as HIV/AIDS. For the next 27 years, her career was devoted to stopping mother-to-child transmission of the virus. Along the way, she acquired a Doctoral degree in Adult Education from Teachers College at Columbia University.

Over the years, as treatments became available and the death rate in maternal transmission dropped to near zero, Dr. Burr rose to Associate Director of the François-Xavier Bagnoud Center at Rutgers University and traveled around the world teaching medical professionals the life-saving treatments she had helped pioneer. She was greatly admired and honored with numerous awards.

In 1998, Carolyn was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. She continued her career and travels until she became confined to a wheelchair, retiring in 2014.

Carolyn Moore Keith was born on August 13, 1949 in Huntingburg, Indiana to James Keith and Gladys (Moore) Keith. Her father was a minister in the United Methodist Church; her mother was a teacher. While growing up, she was active in her church. As an adult, she found a new spiritual home as a member of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Montclair, NJ, where she served as a teacher to both adults and children and held many leadership positions.

Dr. Burr and her second husband, David Lewis, moved to a retirement community in 2016 where they enjoyed an active and productive life together. Always a leader, she was elected to the Resident Advisory Council and was the president at her death.

Dr. Burr's first marriage ended in divorce in 1994. She married David Lewis in 1998. In addition to her son, Matthew and daughter, Amanda Burr Xido, she is survived by three grandchildren and several stepchildren.

A memorial service will be planned when the pandemic restrictions are eased. If you wish to make a contribution, please consider Can Do Multiple Sclerosis at www.cando-ms.org.