Marquette mourns the loss of graduate student Jonathan Burnham

The Marquette community mourns the loss of philosophy graduate student Jonathan Burnham, who passed away at his home on May 5 at age 48.

Burnham was a master's student in the Department of Philosophy, specializing in social and applied philosophy. He entered graduate school in the fall of 2024 as a non-traditional student, to pursue a lifelong interest in existentialist and absurdist philosophy.

A 1996 graduate of Rosepine High School in Rosepine, Louisiana, Burnham earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and government at Louisiana Scholars' College at Northwestern State University in 2001. Following graduation, Burnham was commissioned in the United States Army as an infantry officer from 2001 to 2006 and served in Iraq from 2003 to 2004. Burnham's personal interests included anachronistic medieval recreation and armored combat.

Burnham's funeral service will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 16 at Kessler Fahrenkrug Funeral Home at 304 S. Commercial Street in Neenah, Wisconsin. Visitation will be held from 10 a.m. until the beginning of the service.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be given to the Burnham-Lager Irrevocable Trust, which is established for the benefit of his children's future educational needs.

Everyone processes grief differently, and counseling services and pastoral support are available on campus for all faculty, staff and students. Members of the university's Counseling Center and Campus Ministry are available to provide support services for students coping with grief and loss, and the Marquette Employee Assistance Program is available 24/7 for all employees and members of their households.

The Marquette community holds Burnham's friends and family in its prayers, including his children, Nicholas, Nathaniel and Alexander; his parents, Timothy and Linda; and his brother, David.

His full obituary can be found here.