Áslaug (Adda) Burawa died in the early morning of December 23,2018 with her son, Christopher, by her bedside.
Áslaug Burawa (née, Hermaníusdóttir) was born in Reykjavik, Iceland, on January 12, 1926. Her parents were Hermaníus Márino Jónsson and Sigríður Guðmundsdóttir. She was the wife of George Burawa. She is survived by her son Christopher Burawa and granddaughter Indra Eydís Burawa.
Adda met George Burawa (U.S. Army Air Corps World War II veteran) when he was working for Bendix Field Engineering to install radar around Iceland. They married on October 21, 1950 in Hallgrímskirkja, Rekjavik. Their son Christopher was born in 1959.
Adda was primarily a homemaker but was an active volunteer throughout her life, serving on committees and with nonprofit organizations wherever she lived, in the United States and abroad. She had been a champion athlete in her youth, competing in swimming and gymnastics, and after her marriage learned and practiced Hatha Yoga until, in her 60s, osteoarthritis made it impossible to continue. As a young woman she took painting and drawing instruction at the ateliers of several prominent Icelandic artists. After the death of her husband, Adda enrolled in Prince George's Community College in Maryland and took many courses in art history. After moving to Arizona in 1990, she served as a docent at the Arizona State University Art Museum for 10 years. As a life-long learner, Adda also supported public television and was a volunteer fundraiser for KAET in Tempe, Arizona. Adda was an adored wife, mother, and grandmother. She was a warm and open person and never met a person she did not like.
She was preceded in death by her father, Hermaníus Márino Jónsson; mother, Sigríður Guðmundsdóttir; husband, George Burawa; and brothers, Ástráður Kristófer Hermaníusson, Oddgeir Kristinn Hermaníusson, Baldur Kristján Hermaníusson, Guðmundur Jóhannes Hermaníusson, and Jón Gunnar Hermaníusson.
A private committal service will take place in Iceland.