C. Thomas Burke

Burke, C. Thomas, Maritime Expert and Diplomat. Mr. Burke served a distinguished career in both public service and the private sector. He served in the administrations of five presidents (Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton and G.H Bush). Among his appointments were, Special Assistant for International Affairs, Office of the Secretary, U. S. Department of Agriculture; Transportation Management Officer, Agency for International Development (Food for Peace Program); and a Presidential Appointment in the Department of State as Commissioner of the Panama Canal Study Commission. Numerous foreign governments honored Mr. Burke for his work in developing mutual understanding and world peace initiatives. He received diplomatic training at the Foreign Service Institute, Washington, DC and was an active member of the American Foreign Service Association. He served as President, CEO, and Executive Director of a number of our nation's largest Port Authorities (Port Everglades, Fort Lauderdale, FL; Cleveland Port Authority, OH and the Seaway Port Authority of Duluth). He started his career in the maritime industry as Assistant Director of Port Commerce for the Port of New York/New Jersey. He also spent 10 years in executive positions with the Delaware and Hudson Railroad, now the Canadian Pacific Railroad. Mr. Burke was a Graduate of Christian Brothers Military Academy, Albany, N.Y. where he received the "Outstanding Alumni Award" in 2008. He graduated from Northeastern University, Boston MA, where he was honored with the "Outstanding Alumni Award" in 1995. Attorney Burke received his law degree from Blackstone School of Law, Chicago, IL. He was a Fellow and National Vice President of the Fourth Circuit of the Federal Bar Association and Chairman of the Transportation Committee of the Virginia Bar Association. He served on the Board of Directors of the Center for Oceans Law and Policy, University of Virginia School of Law. Mr. Burke was Associate Professor at the International Maritime Institute, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA and Associate Professor at the School of Continuing Education, University of Richmond, VA. Mr. Burke served for 10 years as Senior Advisor to the President and CEO of Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha ("K" Line America, Inc.) in their Washington DC office. More recently he served as President of the 1st Middle East Chapter of the International Propeller Club in Dubai, UAE. He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Ross, her daughter Laurel of Tampa FL, and his five children Thomas Andrew of Cleveland, Ohio; Daniel Joseph of Richmond Virginia; Rita Marie Morris of Washington DC; James Gregory of Shrewsbury, MA, and Matthew Henry of Cranbury, NJ their spouses and 13 wonderful grandchildren. Mr. Burke's first wife, Joanne the mother of his five children, predeceased him in 1986 of Parkinson's disease. Services will be held at Saint John's Catholic Church, Clyde NY, on July 2, 2011. The family has requested that in lieu of flowers donations be sent to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, 811 West Evergreen Avenue, Suite 204, Chicago IL 60642-2642.