Born on Dec. 26, 1957, which severely limited the number of birthday presents she would receive over time, Coleen grew up in West Long Branch where she owned a home for many years. She was a graduate of Shore Regional High School and attended Glassboro State College and Brookdale Community College before receiving a bachelor's degree from Seton Hall University.

A veteran broadcaster and reporter, Coleen was a news presenter and on-air personality for a number of New Jersey radio stations. She wrote for area newspapers, most recently The Link, based in Long Branch.

Coleen was predeceased by parents Eileen Cooney Burnett in 1976, when Coleen was 18, and Daniel Burnett in 1967, when she was just nine years old.

Despite the challenge of living with cerebral palsy since birth, Coleen amazed and inspired her many friends with a fiercely independent nature and unceasing determination to accomplish her goals. Having only one good ear didn't stop Coleen from loving live music. She attended dozens of concerts over the years and cherished in particular an invitation from legendary blues guitarist B.B. King for an extended visit with him after a show.

A dedicated follower of the New York Mets and Seton Hall Pirates, Coleen was also a fan of the Los Angeles Rams, largely because of their cool blue and yellow helmets.

Coleen is survived by her cousin Donna Leroy, of Freehold, hundreds of friends, former co-workers, and the outsized family she adopted, the Waltons. A GoFundMe has been started by a friend to help with expenses. It can be accessed here.

There are many tributes to Coleen on her Facebook page.