Robert Henry Burke

Born February 20, 1941 in Rappahannock County, VA, Robert Henry Burke took a trip to be with the Lord on December 6, 2019.  Better known as Bob and sometimes referred to as Stoney or Corncob, he wasn’t much of a traveler.  When you’d ask Bob to go someplace, he’d always say “I don’t need to go, I didn’t lose anything there”.  But this final trip must have been worth taking, because he had lost something there.  He had lost his mama and his daddy, Ella and Andrew Burke.  He had also lost two brothers, Charles and Jimmy Burke. 

As he made his arrival to join his loved ones, there is no doubt that Bob didn’t just pass through those pearly gates, he danced right on into the Lord’s arms. Bob liked to dance and even when Alzheimer’s took over his mind, it didn’t stop his body from dancing.  It’s not very well known, but back when he was dating his wife, Judy, they won a dance contest on the Milt Grant TV show.

Although he appeared on TV, he was much better known for so many other things.  Bob was a car guy and some folks called him Mr. Fordy because of his love for 1940 Fords.  He also ran with the Catlett rescue squad for a time, in fact, he had a hand in building the facility.  He retired from Fairfax County as a building inspector but never really stopped working.  He continued to use his skills to help others construct their dream homes.

Bob will be sadly missed by those he left behind, including his wife, Judy (Fink) Burke, his sister Ella Mae Johnson, brother Earl Burke, daughter Debra Kay Rose and her husband Warren, and son Robert Wray Burke and wife Christie, along with nine grandchildren, Vanessa, Kayla, Samantha, Matthew, Madeline, Gabrielle, Jack, Grace and Andrew.

A memorial service will be held on Sunday, December 8, 2019 at 2:30 p.m. at Pisgah United Methodist Church in Catawba, NC.  A celebration of life will be held at a later date in his home state of Virginia.

In lieu of flowers, charitable donations can be made to Catlett Fire & Rescue Squad, PO Box 280, Catlett, VA 20119 or Pisgah United Methodist Church 4950 Little Mountain Road, Catawba, NC 28609.

The Burke family is under the care of Raymer-Kepner Funeral Home & Cremation Services, Huntersville.  Online condolences and memories may be left for the family at kepnerfh.com.