Kellyann Burgét

Kellyann Burgét (April 1, 1965 – February 6, 2026)

Kellyann Burgét, 60, of Niles, Michigan, passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by her family, on Friday, February 6, 2026. She was born on April 1, 1965, in Brooklyn, New York, to Helen L. (Domaso) Thomas and the late Charles Marcus Thomas.

From an early age, Kelly’s life moved to the rhythm of music. Following her family’s relocation to Long Island, she began playing the violin at age ten, revealing a rare and natural gift. By high school, she had earned a scholarship to the Manhattan School of Music’s Young Musician Program. She performed throughout the New York metropolitan area with ensembles including the Down East Orchestra and the Long Island Youth Symphony, bringing musicality and joy to every stage.

Kelly’s artistry was boundless. Drawn to movement as much as melody, she earned a scholarship to the internationally renowned Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. She performed across the tri-state area in celebrated venues including Lincoln Center, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the 92nd Street Y, and The Brooklyn Tabernacle. Simultaneously, she studied acting at Upper West Side Studios, leading to appearances on Sesame Street, All My Children, and Another World, as well as in ABC Afterschool Specials and over fifty national commercials for brands like Hallmark, McDonald’s, and AT&T.

While her life was filled with extraordinary artistic achievement, nothing mattered more to Kelly than her children: Mia, Zoë, and Justin. Driven by love and purpose, she returned to academia with remarkable grace, graduating as the first African American valedictorian of Nassau Community College. She continued to Hofstra University on a full scholarship, serving as first-chair violinist and graduating summa cum laude in 2002.

In 2003, Kelly moved to Indiana, where she became a trusted presence on local television. She hosted The Harvest Show, a live, internationally syndicated morning program, logging more than 2,000 hours of live TV. She later hosted Holiday Shoppe and Home Sweet Home on WSBT and hosted several programs for Michiana’s public broadcasting station WNIT, including serving as one of the hosts of Experience Michiana, a show devoted to celebrating the region’s people, places, culture, and community life.

Kellyann was not only a performer - she was a teacher, a builder, and a force for joy. She served as an adjunct professor at Indiana University South Bend, where she taught African Dance and Afro-Jazz. She was also the founder and artistic director of UZIMA!, a local dance and theater company devoted to celebrating wholeness, health, and life. Over the years, UZIMA! was featured in the presenting series at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center at the University of Notre Dame and performed at the Morris Performing Arts Center alongside the South Bend Symphony Orchestra. Those collaborations and community ties meant the world to her. She believed in building bridges through art, cultivating relationships, and creating spaces where people from different backgrounds could come together in celebration.

Kelly’s home was one of her favorite places to love people well. She cherished gatherings filled with laughter, food, and music, and she poured her heart into making holidays feel truly special. She was known for preparing an intricate Thanksgiving turkey with her son-in-law that became part of the family’s tradition, and she especially loved Christmas caroling parties, even putting together lyric books so everyone could sing along together. A woman of deep faith, Kelly loved God with all of her heart, and she carried that faith into the way she cared for others. Kellyann’s life was rich with creativity, warmth, and heart, and her presence will be missed more than words can hold.

In January 2023, she became a grandmother - “Bibi” - a role that became one of the brightest joys of her life. She shared five wonderful years with her husband, Todd, whom she married on New Year’s Eve 2020 and who faithfully cared for her in sickness and in health.

Kelly is survived by her loving husband, Todd Burgét; her children, Mia Rae (Brendan Richard) Daly, Zoë Gabriella Morgan, and Justin Daniel Morgan; her bonus children, Macie Quinn Burgét and Braden Todd Burgét; and her grandson, Noah Francis Daly. She is also survived by her mother, Helen L. Thomas; her sister, Angela Anna Rodriguez;her nephew, Kenneth Chrisopher Rodriguez;  her cats, Sariyah and Saavie; and a wide circle of students, friends, and community members who loved her deeply. She was preceded in death by her father, Charles Marcus Thomas, and her beloved fur children, Samson, Kirby, and Max.

Service Details: A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, February 21, 2026, at 12:00 PM at Christian Life Center, 1717 N Hickory Rd, South Bend, IN 46635. Visitation will take place from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM at the same location. 

In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations to American Lung Association, Via Lung Force or UZIMA! Drum and Dance via https://www.uzimadrumanddance.org/make-a-donation in Kelly’s memory. The family is grateful for the love, support, and prayers extended during this time.