Amélia Maria Canilho

Amélia Maria Canilho, 63, of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, passed away on January 28, 2025 at her home in Sturgeon Bay following a two-year battle with cancer.

She was born August 18, 1961 in Almada, Portugal, the daughter of Domingos Canilho and Maria de Lurdes Batista. A life-long learner, Amélia loved languages, art and history. She attended Universidade Livre in Lisbon, Portugal for Art History. Afterwards, she obtained a Fulbright Scholarship for a Master's degree in Roman Archaeology at the University of Missouri - Columbia (1982). And while there, Amélia found a fourth life-long love.

On October 8, 1986, she married Robert Burke in Columbia, MO. They eventually moved to Wisconsin in 1998 with two sons in tow and finally landed in Sturgeon Bay in 2002. Here Amélia used her skills and experiences to impact several generations of students and residents of Door County. She was a polyglot, artist, and historian. Amélia at first taught English as a Second Language (ESL) in Sevastopol High School, teaching English language learners and tutoring them on every other subject of the standard curriculum. Afterward, she began teaching Spanish at Sturgeon Bay High School with occasional ESL students. She retired in 2022.

Her compassion for others extended beyond the classroom. Amélia served as Board President of the Legal Aid Society of Door County for sometime, supporting at-need families and individuals with legal support. She was also a founding member of Literacy Door County, providing opportunities for adult non-English speakers to formally learn English.
Amélia was a loving mother, wife, and teacher in the truest sense. She was always the one in the room who was standing up for and supporting the "little guy". Her family, friends, and community will always remember her contagious laughter, and ability to quickly develop impactful connections with anyone she came across. No matter where they were in life, or where they were from in the world.

Amélia will be missed by her husband, Robert; mother, Maria de Lurdes Batista of Almada, Portugal; sons, Adrian (Tabitha) Canilho-Burke of Utah, and Dominic Canilho-Burke of Sturgeon Bay; and sister, Isabel Canilho of Almada, Portugal.

She was preceded in death by her father, Domingos Canilho.

Amélia's life will be honored with an informal gathering at the Drömhus (611 Jefferson Street, Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235) on Saturday, February 8, 2025 from 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m.

Memorials may be given in her name to Literacy Door County, Inc. (P.O. Box 473 Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235; literacydoorcounty@gmail.com).

Huehns Funeral Home, Inc. & Door County Crematory LLC in Sturgeon Bay are assisting the Canilho-Burke family. Expressions of sympathy, memories, and photos of Amelia may be shared with her family through her tribute page at www.HuehnsFuneralHome.com.

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