Carolyn Jane Burd

Carolyn Jane Burd (neé Lerman), 81, of Oakland, died from complications of advanced dementia on April 21, 2026. A beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend, Carolyn will be remembered for her humor, strong will, deep caring, and love of family.

Born in Boston, MA, on April 27, 1944, Carolyn was the first child of Everett and Libby Lerman and older sister to Arnold. After living a short time elsewhere in the Boston area, her childhood was spent and fondly remember as growing-up in Marblehead, MA surrounded by her extended family, lobster traps, and antique shops. After high school, Carolyn studied radiographic technology, training at Massachusetts General Hospital. While looking for someone to help paint a Cheshire cat mural on her apartment wall, Carolyn met and fell in love with Sam Burd, a fellow tenant in their Back Bay apartment building. 

After their graduation from Northeastern University, Carolyn and Sam moved to Manhattan for a short time. Their 61-year marriage commenced with their wedding at the New York Society for Ethical Culture in 1964. They moved to the west coast where they started a family in Long Beach, CA. 

In 1975, the Burds moved to Oakland. As a wife and mother of two boys, Carolyn created a lively and welcoming home. She kept a stocked refrigerator for her sons and their friends, kept a rose garden in her front yard, and became very involved in their school community. She also taught adults to read through the Oakland Public Library’s Second Start literacy program. 

Professionally, she worked as an administrator in the Montclair Business Association and was the office manager for the tech company Experience in Software. On retirement, she lived with Sam on Lake Merritt where she enjoyed the company of friends, long walks, and international travel. Throughout the years, she volunteered as a reading mentor, ESL instructor, and citizenship teacher to recent immigrants.

Carolyn’s hobbies included gardening, reading mysteries and historical fiction, and the occasional round of golf. She was a loving mother and adoring grandmother, proud of her New England heritage and dedicated community member in Montclair and Lake Merritt.

A memorial service will be held at a date to be determined. In lieu of flowers, the Burd family requests donations be made to the Oakland Public Library and the Lake Merritt Conservancy. Donation links are below.