Denise Lynn McCord, 69, of South Burlington, VT passed away on July 10, 2023 in the company of family and friends.

Denise was born on August 30, 1953 to Grover Currie McCord and Maxine Joyce Decker in Flint, MI. She was proud to be the first in her family to attend and graduate from college. She received her undergraduate degree from Grand Valley State College and Masters Degree in Special Education from St. Michael's College. Denise had a long, dedicated career as a special educator at Stowe High School, then later at Union 32 High School in Vermont.

In 1977, Denise met Rich Tulikangas during a summer study program in Yugoslavia. They were married from 1983-2003 and had three wonderful children together, Owen, Nick and Lauren.

In 2015, Denise retired and spent her time backpacking in Europe, playing pickleball, walking with her beloved dog Jules, gardening, hiking and canoeing with many friends, and spending time with her children and granddaughters, Olivia and Ada, who were her greatest joy.

Denise was courageous, determined, strong, resilient, independent, funny, and loving. Her dry wit and sense of humor could soften any moment. Her life was full of adventure: Morris dancing, running marathons, canoe trips, walking the Camino in Spain and Portugal, hiking all over Vermont, and family trips to Mexico and across the US. She was an expert at charades and loved playing cards. Most importantly, she loved her family and friends deeply.

A celebration of life will be held at The St. John's Club in Burlington, VT on August 29th, 2023 from 5:00-8:00PM.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to be made to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute or the Susan G. Komen 'Race for the Cure'