Obituaries: Retired Lieutenant Colonel Patrick Henry Burke US Army

Retired Lieutenant Colonel Patrick Henry Burke US Army

GORHAM – Retired Lt. Col. Patrick Henry Burke, U.S. Army, 73, died Tuesday, April 12, 2022, at home with his family by his side. He was born on January 2, 1949 in New York, NY, the son of the late John Nugent Burke, MD and Mery Burke. He attended schools in Belgium and New Jersey and graduated from Villanova University in 1970. In 1971 he married Karen Courtney in Medford Lakes, NJ. He earned his MBA from the University of Southern Maine in 1979. He enlisted in the Army National Guard in 1970, graduating from the OCS soon after. While serving in the National Guard, Pat’s civilian career focused on a variety of financial abilities. He entered active service in the army in 1987, and he retired in 2004 after 34 years, four months and four days! While on active duty, he held many different roles, including a White House assignment in the Office of National Drug Control Policy and in investigations for the Inspector General. Karen and Pat were high school sweethearts for seven years before getting married on June 26, 1971. They were blessed to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary last June. Together for 58 years, they created an intuitive and supportive bond that often didn’t require words. “Pop”, as Michael called him, was the proudest parent ever. During Michael’s early years, he instilled his love for sports in his son. While stationed at the Pentagon, he regularly drove home to watch as many games as possible. He could be found sitting in the middle of the field or in the middle of the field as high as possible to silently highlight the performances of Mike and the teams. Mike was acutely aware that Pop liked him, and it was obvious to anyone who saw them interact. Victoria, his granddaughter, was the love of his life. “Appy” liked to be his family daycare and accompany him in his many activities. As his granddaughter grew, he made sure to be a part of every aspect of her life. Although she has grown up, she will always be his “Tiny”. In his spare time, you could have found him reading his many newspapers or watching college basketball, especially the Villanova Wildcats. He was also a football fanatic! He loved his Philadelphia Eagles – “Fly Eagles Fly!” He “loved” traveling – well, he still liked going on vacation! He and his family loved the many cruises they embarked on as well as frequent visits to St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands. He is survived by his wife, Karen Burke of Gorham; son, Michael of Old Orchard Beach; and granddaughter, Victoria. He is also survived by his siblings Frances (Joseph) Bassett of Leominster, Mass., Jay (Karen) Burke of Gray, Mary Ellen (Terry) White of Westbrook; as well as numerous nieces and nephews. The family would like to thank Northern Light Hospice for their kind and compassionate care of Pat. Bethany, Judy, Mary and Nicole are definitely angels on earth. Visiting hours will be Saturday, April 23 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Conroy-Tully Walker South Portland Chapel, 1024 Broadway, South Portland. A funeral service will follow in the chapel at noon. To view Pat’s memorial page or to share a condolence online, please visit http://www.ConroyTullyWalker.com Memorial contributions can be made in Pat’s memory to the Travis Mills Foundation, which provides rest and relaxation to alumni recalibrated fighters. Michael will be hosting Travis’ 5K on Sunday of Memorial Day weekend in memory of his father, and donations can be made through his fundraising page at https://runsignup.com/michaelburkesfundraisingpage.