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Elaine Madelyn Burcham
1947 - 2025
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Elaine Burcham Obituary
Born: March 15, 1947
Died: September 26, 2025
Elaine Madelyn Burcham (Steele) (nee Westberg), 78, of Woodstock, IL passed away peacefully and surrounded by loved ones on September 26, 2025 after a courageous battle with ALS.
She was born in Chicago on March, 15, 1947 to the late Herald and Florence (Farr) Westberg and was preceded in death by her sister, Alice Wilson.
Elaine is survived by her beloved husband, Wil; two sons, Scott Steele of Glenview and Jeff Steele of Crystal Lake; daughter-in-law, Truda; stepdaughter, Danika Cassello of Joliet; and five grandchildren, Aran, Abby, Cayleigh, Luke, and Natlie.
She graduated from Steinmetz Academic Center and Northeastern Illinois University where she studied math and Spanish. She was a passionate and esteemed Spanish Teacher and Division Head at Buffalo Grove High School "BGHS" from 1978 to 2002. Throughout her tenure she positively impacted the lives of thousands of "BGHS" Students, many of whom she remained close friends with after graduation. Her teaching legacy at "BGHS" was memorialized with the commencement of the Señora Steele Foreign Language Merit Scholarship in May 2025.
A visitation will be held from 4-7pm on Thursday, October 2, 2025 at Schneider Leucht Merwin & Cooney Funeral Home, 1211 N. Seminary Ave., Woodstock, IL 60098. A funeral service will be held at 11:00am on Friday, October 3, 2025 at Hope Lutheran Church, 1660 Checker Rd., Long Grove, IL 60047, luncheon to follow the service.
In lieu of flowers, the family prefers donations made to ALS research in Elaine's memory.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
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