Obituary: Ali Burrow, 70

Ali K. Burrow, 70, died peacefully with family in attendance October 10, 2023 of pancreatic cancer.

Ali was born May 2, 1953 Alyn Ann Korbel in Lawrence, Kansas to Phyllis and William Korbel. As a child she was a talented ballet dancer, art student and also played the flute. She married Richard Burrow November 21, 1973 and worked while Rich finished his Electrical Engineering degree at the Pratt Institute. After he graduated, they moved to Sunnyvale, California for Rich's first job.

In California, Ali discovered long distance running and loved it. She ran with friends, competed in races and even completed the Napa Marathon. She worked for years as an administrative assistant at Ford Aerospace in the Palo Alto area. When she wasn't working or running, she was rescuing and caring for animals--cats, dogs, birds and her horse "K.C."

Rich and Ali moved to Mountain View, then San Jose and eventually settled in Morgan Hill. In 1991 she had her first son, Thomas, and in 1993, she had her second son, Timothy. From that time on, she quit working and devoted herself to raising her boys which brought her great happiness. She loved being a mother.

The family moved from Morgan Hill, CA to Amherst, MA in 1998. While the boys were in school, she volunteered in the Fort River Elementary School library organizing books and reading to younger students during story time. Her sons were both on swim teams. Ali and her husband, Rich, took the boys to hundreds of swim meets and eventually became swim officials.

In 2003 Ali was diagnosed with breast cancer and was successfully treated. After her recovery she went back to school and got an Associates Degree in Health Science which led to a career as a Pharmacy Technician most recently at Bay State Medical Center in Springfield, MA. She continued running and added swimming and cycling which led to an interest in Half Triathlons. A reporter for MASSLive wrote a wonderful article on her participation in the Providence Half Ironman October 17, 2012 which captured her optimism and determination. She met every challenge with joy and enthusiasm.

After retiring, she moved to Mesa, Arizona where she enjoyed working out in the Silver Sneakers program at the YMCA. She also returned to her love of creative arts and started drawing and painting.

As she looked back on her life, she said her proudest achievement was raising her two children. She was a devoted mother, wife and the best sister.

She is survived by her husband Richard Burrow in Mesa, AZ, her two sons, Thomas (Jennifer) in Mesa, AZ, Timothy in Baltimore, MD and her sister Susan Korbel in Berkeley, CA.