Year Honored: 1999

Birth: 1927 - 2015

Born in: Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Biography

Evelyn P. Burkle worked for a number of years as a Physical Education Teacher at Wilmington Friends School, before leaving to commit her energy to volunteer work. As a two-time survivor of breast cancer, Burkle focused on raising awareness of the ‘early detection’ of breast cancer, and on compassion, information, and support for those affected. As Coordinator of the Reach to Recovery Program, she was known for her leadership and commitment to fighting breast cancer. Burkle promoted mammography, clinical examination, and breast self-examination by encouraging Delaware women to be proactive, regardless of age, race, or socioeconomic status. She was steadfast in her outreach efforts, “ensuring that students and senior citizens alike hear and understand her message,” and spoke at all manner of locations, from classrooms to workplaces to prisons.

Burkle also served as the chair of the First National Cancer Survivor’s Day in Wilmington, was President of the Delaware Center for Wellness, chair of the annual Purple Tea Luncheon – a fund-raiser for breast cancer research - and was honorary chair of the American Cancer Society’s ‘Tell-a-Friend’ Program that urged women statewide to get a mammogram.

Aside from her work with the public, Burkle has collaborated with legislatures to secure funding for a mobile mammography van; worked with the IMPACT Delaware Coalition to restrict smoking in public places, and appeared on radio shows, television, in schools, and at other public speaking events to teach about the hazards of smoking; and worked to encourage public awareness of the impact of breast cancer on the lives of women and their families.

For her work, Burkle was awarded the Theresa Laser Award (1985); the Courage Award (1988); the Ruby Ruby Life Saver Award (1989); the Governor’s Outstanding Volunteer Award (1990); and the St. George Medal from the American Cancer Society (1993).
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Sources and Additional Readings

Delaware Commission for Women. (2006). Twenty-Fifth Anniversary: Hall of Fame of Delaware Women: The Legacy Endures.

Evelyn Pennington Burkle Obituary (2015) The News Journal. Legacy.com. (n.d.). Retrieved January 12, 2022, from https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/delawareonline/name/evelyn-burkle-obituary?id=16841438