Burke, Deacon John Martin "Jack", baptized into the hope of Christ's resurrection, Monday, October 24, 2022.
Beloved husband of Susan Burke (nee Mansfield); dearest father of James (Kathryn) Burke of Baton Rouge, LA, Matthew (Amy) Burke of St. Louis, MO and Ryan (Caty) Burke of Fort Wayne, IN; dear grandfather of Jude Francis Burke, Eden Grace Burke and John Martin Burke II; loving son of the late James and Mary Burke and son-in-law of the late Daniel and Yvonne Mansfield; brother of Tim Burke, Tom (Bonnie) Burke, Peggy (Bill) Bouras and Pat (Bonny) Burke; brother-in-law of Dannie (Paige) Mansfield, Cathy Mansfield, Teresa (John) Norris and Scott (Penny) Mansfield; our dear uncle, cousin, teacher and friend of many. Jack was a man of deep faith, love, charity, dedication, and honor.
Above all titles and roles Jack could claim, his most cherished were that of husband, father, and grandfather. Jack and Susan were married in Birmingham, AL on June 4th, 1988. They made each other laugh, comforted each other in hard times, and went on many adventures together. No matter what challenges life brought them, they remained strong in their love and in their faith.
Jack and Susan’s life together was always an adventure. They would ride their bikes together, exploring the Katy Trail and Missouri wine country. In 2014 they turned the City of St. Louis’ 250th celebration into an adventure by seeking out the over 250 Birthday Cake statues around the city. Their biggest adventure of all was raising their three boys.
As a father, Jack was dedicated to being a positive role-model for his sons in all aspects of life and leading by example. He worked hard during the day so that he could provide for his family and worked even harder to be present for them every minute beyond that. Jack managed to wrangle the boys to church early enough every Sunday to secure the first pew.
Whether it was practice for sports or a game on the other side of town; a weekly Boy Scout meeting or a weeklong Summer Camp trip; a choir concert or a circus performance, Jack was there to support his boys.
Deacon Jack Burke has been an active member of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Manchester, MO for over 30 years. Ordained into the Diaconate on Aug 29th, 2020 after five years of formation, Deacon Burke faithfully served the parishioners of St. Joseph’s until his disease progressed later in 2022.
He was a long-time member of the Knights of Columbus, reaching the rank of 4th Degree Knight. For the last five years, Jack was a key member of the RCIA Formation Team at the parish, preparing people for entrance into the Church.
Jack received his Pharm.D. from the University of Texas and began his career in pharmacy education at Samford University in Birmingham, AL. He moved home to St. Louis in 1992 to begin his career at the St. Louis College of Pharmacy. His incredible legacy there spanned more than three decades, and over the years, his work positively impacted the lives of countless students, pharmacy residents, patients, other health professionals and faculty and staff members.
The University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis recognized Dr. Jack Burke as the 2022 Faculty Excellence Award winner. Jack’s remarkable career is highlighted by his long list of accomplishments in clinical practice and teaching.
During his time with St. Louis College of Pharmacy, he practiced as an Internal Medicine and Family Medicine Inpatient Clinical Pharmacist at Forest Park Hospital and the John Cochran Veteran’s Administration Medical Center, where he optimized care for patients while educating medical professionals, including hundreds of pharmacy students. He was also an Adjunct Associate Professor at Saint Louis University where he taught in the Physician Assistant program for 30 years.
As Associate Dean for Post-Graduate Education at St. Louis College of Pharmacy, Jack expanded residency training opportunities and coordinated numerous activities on campus to support pharmacy residents across the region. During his career, Jack was also recognized as a Fellow of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.
Services: Funeral Mass at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Manchester, Saturday, October 29, at 12:00 p.m. Interment at St. Joseph Cemetery, Manchester. If desired, contributions may be made to The Dr. Jack and Susan Burke Scholarship - University of Health Science & Pharmacy in St. Louis https://www.uhsp.edu/give/support/giving-forms/support-burke.html. Visitation at the SCHRADER Funeral Home and Crematory, 14960 Manchester Road at Holloway, Ballwin, Friday, October 28, from 4-8 p.m. Friends may sign the family's on-line guestbook at Schrader.com.
Read More
