April Marie Burgess

April Marie Burgess, of Hyattsville, Maryland, passed away on August 11, 2026. She was 56 years old. Born on December 10, 1969, April was the dear daughter of Mary and Barry Burgess, Sr.

April graduated high school in 1987 where she ran track, accruing numerous trophies from the sport along the way. She also worked at Home Depot where her friendly and positive demeanor made coworkers and customers alike gravitate towards her. She was kind to everyone, never judgmental, and always willing to help. She was a very strong woman who was bright, funny, wonderful.

She loved going to concerts and collecting concert T-shirts; she also enjoyed movies, her favorites being in the horror genre, which came with an affinity for haunted houses and haunted things in general. One of her favorite shows was Ghost Adventures. April was a complete prankster; one of her favorite things to do was to jump out and scare everyone, whether it be after a scary movie had just been watched, or if she was waiting behind a door in the dark.

April also liked having pets, especially exotic pets; she loved all animals, and most of all her cat Pecky. April also enjoyed going to amusement parks with family and friends and collecting lotions and perfumes. She preferred to ride shotgun during car rides; she also enjoyed rootbeer floats. She loved butterflies, and collected all kinds of butterfly themed memorabilia, such as wind chimes, sun catchers, and decals. Her favorite color was blue.

She was an admirable fighter who never complained, even in the most difficult of situations. She was like a ray of sunshine; so bright, warm, loving, and fun. She was a beautiful person with a beautiful soul. The sound of her laugh was the catalyst that caused those around her to find humor in the moment as well.

She was a great listener and cared deeply about her family and friends. She was fun and could cheer her loved ones up “no matter what” and always made them feel special and cared for. She made sure to live life with all she had and brought everyone joy. She loved seafood, a matcha frappe from Starbucks, bean dip, spinach dip, and of course, cheese. She enjoyed trips to the beach and beautiful sunsets. She was an amazing hugger, and some of her favorite music included Madonna, George Michael, and Prince – she loved the 80’s and anything from that era.

April leaves behind her beloved daughter, Amber Burgess; parents Mary and Barry, Sr.; siblings Barry, Misty, and Brandie; and her significant other Lance Fletcher. In addition, she leaves behind many dear friends.

There will be a memorial service in honor of April on Thursday, August 27, 2026, at 12:00pm in the Chapel at Donaldson Funeral Home, 313 Talbott Avenue, Laurel, MD, 20707.

Her parents wanted to leave a special note for April as well:

“April Marie Burgess

From a sweet little girl to a strong woman you grew

Before my eye your bright laugh filled our home with joy

Now your beautiful spirit lives on in our hearts forever.

Love,

Mom and Dad

A piece of our heart is missing”