Hilary Burger

Hilary Burger

March 1, 1964 - August 13, 2025

Hilary Burger, a resident of Echo Ridge Homes Cooperative in Albuquerque, New Mexico, passed away peacefully in her sleep on August 13, 2025, due to sudden cardiac failure. Hilary was a kind and gentle soul. She was soft-spoken yet tenacious and fiercely independent. Swift to give but modest to receive. A trilingual (English, Spanish and Portuguese) internationalist with formidable skills and a resilient inner core, she was known for her practical, down-to-earth nature. Hilary was a bridgebuilder who dedicated her life to studying, learning from, sharing with, and loving the peoples of Latin America, their history, and culture. She was a lifelong learner, cultivated caring friendships, and enjoyed connecting with people and contributing to the community.

She is survived by her mother, Sarah Greene Burger of Washington, DC, and her sister, Heidi Kole of New York City, both of whom kept in touch with her over the phone. Carmen Henriquez, who became Hilary's cherished friend and sister by heart, visited her in Albuquerque during her final years and stayed connected with weekly phone calls.

She is mourned by the spirit of her father, Ed Burger, who passed away in 2020, as well as by Carmen's husband, Omar Ortez, and their children, Eloisa and Valeria. She is also remembered by her friend Lucia Duncan and her family, along with the Archias, Hill, Kehne families, and Sarah Ricker.

Hilary was born on March 1, 1964, in Needham, Massachusetts, to parents who both worked in public health. The family moved to Washington DC, where Hilary attended the bilingual program at Washington, DC’s, John Eaton Public School for three years. There, the strong and loving guidance of Chilean teacher Eliana Roman left a lasting impact. Eliana nurtured each student to excellence, maintaining lifelong connections with Hilary and many of her classmates, even through life events such as weddings. Hilary continued her studies at the International School of Washington, where she completed high school.

Hilary majored in Latin American Economic History and earned a PhD in Latin American History, both at Harvard University. Her dissertation, "An Intellectual History of the ECLA Culture, 1948 to 1964," reflected her deep understanding of the region and an interest in theories of economic development that originated in

Latin America with the goal of creating regional autonomy. While living in Cambridge, Hilary's work increasingly became highly practical, helping many immigrants from that region to find their path to English language acquisition, work, and US citizenship.

By 1999, after graduate school, Hilary worked as Outreach Coordinator for the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies, developing close ties to Cambridge’s Brazilian and Salvadoran communities. Her interests expanded to include immigrant and women’s rights, as well as Latino pop music. This eventually led her to travel abroad in 2002 as a Fulbright Fellow in Recife, Brazil, where she conducted research and worked with feminist organizations.

Upon returning to Washington, DC, Hilary worked for several years as the Development Director of CARECEN, the largest Central American immigrant rights organization in the country. In that role, she empowered immigrants by defending their rights, promoting social justice, and celebrating cultural diversity.

Acute health challenges led Hilary to move to a simpler life in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 2013. Despite her diminished strength, she enjoyed walks in the bosque, visits to exhibits at the Albuquerque Museum, yoga, and herbalism.

Hilary actively participated in and donated to causes close to her heart. She was a member of the Social Justice Council at the First Unitarian Church of Albuquerque, which provides grants to local groups doing impactful work fostering justice, education, and community care. Including After-School Tutoring and Adult English Literacy & Citizenship programs, as well as partnerships with organizations like the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, Jubilee House, the ACLU of Albuquerque, Brain Injury Alliance of New Mexico, and La Plaza de Encuentro Gathering Place.

Hilary also donated to Albuquerque Academy, a school which nurtures children's passion for learning and inspires lifelong reflection and service. She valued the Academy's need-blind admission policy which ensures diversity and inclusivity, allowing every student to thrive.

Gifts in Hilary Burger’s memory would be gratefully accepted by the Social Justice Council at the First Unitarian Church of Albuquerque, located at 3701 Carlisle Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87110, United States. You can contribute online https://secure.myvanco.com/L-Z4A4/campaign/C-12T7Q) or contact them at +1 (505) 884-1801.

Alternatively, contributions can be made to The Albuquerque Academy, located at 6400 Wyoming Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87109. Make donations online https://givebutter.com/AlbuquerqueAcademy or by calling +1 (505) 828-3200. Please ensure to check “give in honor/memory of Hilary Burger” so that funds are directed to diversity and inclusion programming.

How should we remember Hilary’s life and legacy? Her mom Sarah offers us some clues with this final anecdote: “Ed and I visited Hilary’s teacher Eliana at her long-term care facility. Deeply involved and committed to her new life, she had taken up crocheting, and would make small items for friends, family, and caregivers. There, I captured a memorable snapshot of what was meaningful to her: While undergoing physical therapy, Eliana's wrinkled hand gently rubbed her pregnant therapist's belly, already blessing and giving warmth to the new life.” Hilary's life, like her mentor's, had a similar quality, a gentle, constant light touch, which left profound and lasting impressions of genuine care on all who truly knew her.

A celebration of gratitude for Hilary Burger’s life will be held at The First Unitarian Universalist Church of Albuquerque’s Memorial Hall on Saturday, September 6th, at 10 AM Mountain Daylight Time (MDT). The service will also be live streamed on the church’s website (https://uuabq.org/).