Thomas P. Burke 1930-2012

BURKE PETERSON MOORE

Posted By: Connie Swearingen-Volunteer (email)
Date: 5/26/2012 at 18:18:54

Sioux City Journal
May 03, 2012

SIOUX CITY -- Thomas P. Burke, 81, of Sioux City passed away Monday, April 30, 2012, at a Sioux City hospital following a brief illness.

Services will be 10 a.m. Friday at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, with Monsignor Roger Augustine officiating. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery, with military rites conducted by the U.S. Naval Reserves. Visitation will be 4 to 8 p.m. today, with the family present 6 to 8 p.m. and a vigil service at 7 p.m., at Meyer Brothers Colonial Chapel. Condolences may be sent online to www.meyerbroschapels.com.

Tom was born on July 4, 1930, in Sioux City, the son of Charles and Hazel (Peterson) Burke. He attended Everett Elementary, West Jr. High and graduated from Central High in 1948. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1949 to 1952. While stationed in Guam, Tom won an All-Navy light heavy weight boxing championship. He also was on the boxing team at Wayne State College, where he graduated in 1956. Tom also received an M.A. degree in history from USD and an M.S. in school administration from USD.

He married Marcia Moore on Dec. 27, 1954, in Bloomfield, Neb. They had three children, Rebecca, Kathy and Bill. Tom began his teaching career in Akron, Iowa. He also taught at Hinton (Iowa) Community Schools and Central High School in Sioux City. He served as adult education night school principal at Central High and principal at West Jr. High School for 15 years. He promoted and enthusiastically believed in the slogan "West is Best." He concluded his career as an administrator at Hoover Middle School and The Central Campus.

Tom began the first girls track program at Hinton High and served as the first president of the Hinton Teachers Association. He was on the executive board of the Sioux City Education Association and was a delegate to the NEA Convention in Portland, Ore. He initiated scholarship programs for the Lion's Club, the Sioux City Schools and deserving students at the Central Campus. His most rewarding educational experiences were working at West Jr. High School, where he had a great love for the students and families in the neighborhood where he was born and raised. He also enjoyed working with at-risk students at the Central Campus.

Tom was a member of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church. He had served as president of the Sioux City Noon Lions Club, where he received the Melvin Jones Award, the highest award in Lionism for his work as chairman of Campaign Sight First. He also received the Governor's Award for Service. He was a member and had served as president emeritus of Phi Delta Kappa Educational Fraternity and was also a member of Phi Alpha Theta History Fraternity. He was a 50-plus year member of the American Legion Monahan Post 64.

Tom's hobbies were golfing, hunting, fishing, bowling and playing poker. Over the years, he enjoyed many vacations in Canada, South Dakota and Las Vegas, and with his wife belonged to several dance clubs in Siouxland. He loved to sing and enjoyed music of all kinds, especially country, classical, and the crooners of his day, from Sinatra to Patsy Cline. He was a lifelong reader, interested in history and current events, and he loved the outdoors and animals as well as most sports. Tom was especially proud of his Irish heritage and his hometown of Sioux City.

He is survived by his wife, Marcia of Sioux City; three children, Rebecca Ann Burke and her husband, Tony Smith of Ames, Iowa, Kathy Johnson and her husband, Rich of Peoria, Ill., and Bill Burke and his wife, Sandy of Sioux City; five grandchildren, Bridgit Burke-Smith, Conor Burke-Smith, Matthew Johnson and his wife, Donna, Brea Anne Bentley and her husband, Dan, and Brooke Johnson and her fiance, Nick Travis; and two great-grandchildren, Caden Johnson and Maddox Bentley. Tom was very attached to all his dogs, most lately his great companion, Noah.

He was preceded in death by his parents; and three brothers, Don, Dick and Jim Burke.

Pallbearers will be John McCoy, Lowell Cooper, Jim Fowler, Tom Kloucek, Darold Sea, and Bill Scott.

Memorials may be made in his name to the Sioux City Public Schools Foundation, care of the Educational Service Center (scholarships for academic projects) or the Sioux City Noon Lions Club.