Timothy John Burke

1958 - 2021

Timothy John Burke

March 16, 1958-April 30, 2021

Timothy John Burke of Lithia Springs GA and Helena Montana fought a hard battle but due to complications of Covid19 died the morning of April 30, 2021. He was a beloved son and brother, a kind- hearted soul, a Christian, friend, pilot and car enthusiast, and Montanan to the end. Tim was born to Marlene (Cresien) and Robert (Bob) Burke on March 16, 1958 in Missoula, Montana. His parents considered naming him Patrick, but because he arrived one day shy of St. Paddy's Day, the name Timothy won out. It was a fitting name for the good Irish Catholic boy he was and the fine man he would become. Tim joined two older brothers, Bob and Dan, and younger brother Mike arrived a few years later. The family moved to Helena in the early 1960s where Marlene ran the household of four rambunctious boys and Bob worked in banking. The Burkes resided on Helena's upper westside, first on Power then Harrison streets. Tim loved Helena and felt fortunate to have a childhood filled with adventures. Many good, innocent escapades with neighborhood friends turned into lasting friendships and cherished memories. "Big Tim" or "T" thoroughly enjoyed a good round of kidding, regardless of whether he was dishing it out or on the receiving end. He could be a little stubborn at times but his kind heart, love of all people, love of family and friends, and faith in God were unwavering. Tim attended Bishop Gilmore Grade School, CR Anderson and Capital High School before graduating from Missoula Sentinel High School in 1976. He wrestled during grade school and then in high school with his final year at Missoula Sentinel with Jug Beck as his coach. Tim loved the outdoors and pursued skiing and bird hunting with the family. He also found great enjoyment from the many models he put together, especially the airplanes. A true passion throughout Tim's life was anything mechanical or electrical that needed fixing. He had a knack for repairing "junk" engines and making them run again, with very little help or instruction. Tim was industrious, a hard worker and knew how to make and save a buck. During his teen years a good portion of the neighborhood became his lawn mowing customers. With his earnings Tim purchased a Corvair Monza, and his life-long passion with Corvairs was born. Following his brother Bob (and later joined by Mike), Tim attended Montana State University in Bozeman earning his bachelor's degree in Industrial Arts in 1981. Although Tim was a gifted teacher, his dedication to Army ROTC led to his decision to become a pilot. As a new Second Lieutenant, Tim began to learn the rigors of the Army and after some basic officer training in the south he was stationed at Fort Ord in California. He then moved on to flight school at Fort Rucker in Alabama where he trained on the Bell UH-1 (Huey). Tim was happy to endure the intensity of training to receive the reward of flying and freedom it provided him. After some time as a pilot at various duty stations Tim returned to Fort Rucker and became an instructor pilot for the Huey and later Blackhawk helicopters. He also served deployments to Korea, Kuwait, Iraq and other parts of the world flying helicopters and the Army's OV1-Mohawk. He was a decorated officer for the many operations and campaigns he was involved in. While still in the Army, Tim began his second career at Delta Airlines in 1997 working as a Flight Training Procedures Instructor at the Delta Training Center in Atlanta. The job was a good fit as it allowed Tim to again instruct pilots and work with others that shared his passion of flying. Many lasting friendships with other pilots and aircraft folks were also a benefit of his time at Delta. Tim also loved to travel so an added benefit with both Delta and the Army was he saw the world and flew around it probably a couple of times! Russia, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia as well as most of the states were all stops, and he typically took time to see the sites and enjoy the culture. One trip with his brother Mike to New Zealand and Australia was a great hosteling adventure since he was able to reconnect with his Australian military friends, drink some good beer, and swim with sharks on the Great Barrier Reef. Taking leaves from Delta at times, Tim proudly served his country by deploying to Iraq and Kuwait. Tim retired with honor after over 30 years of Army service in 2013, having risen to the rank of Lt. Colonel. He wrapped up his career at Delta when he retired in August of 2020. In retirement Tim found contentment doing what he loved best- completing car restorations, tinkering with planes and helicopters, and hanging out with friends and neighbors. A collector of modern and classic vehicles (several of which he restored himself), Tim was especially proud of his show-quality 1966 Corvair Yenko Stinger # 44 (a car he'd fallen for as a kid). Tim made many friends in his Lithia Springs neighborhood and throughout the Atlanta area. He was always willing to help a friend when they were down or if they needed a leg-up, and did so with no need of recognition. He also enjoyed a good debate and had no problem speaking his mind or sharing his views. He will be sorely missed by those whose lives he touched and by his parents and brothers. Tim loved his family and was especially close to his mom. Although they weren't able to see each other in person as often as they would have liked, Tim and Marlene kept in touch with frequent phone calls, laughing and talking about family and life. Tim was preceded in death by his brother Bob Burke, Ann and Pete Larson, Aunt Nancy Burke, and Cousin Kathy Burke. Survivors include Tim's mom Marlene Burke, dad Bob Burke, brothers Dan and Mike (Trudy) Burke, nieces Nicole (Jesse Adams) Herzog, Mary (Dylan) Robbins, Caroline Burke and Kaela Burke, nephews Patrick (Marina) Burke and Nolan Burke, great-niece Reagan Robbins, Uncle Jack Burke, and many loving and caring Butte cousins and relatives. The Burke family wishes to thank the dedicated staff of Wellstar Atlanta Medical Center Downtown and especially the nurses and doctors for their dedicated care for Tim during his hospitalization and their communication with family members in Montana. To honor Tim's dedication to the Army and his country, Tim will be interred with honors at Fort Harrison in Helena, Montana. Memorial services are being planned for Atlanta and Montana and will be announced at a later date. The family requests memorials to be made to the Wounded Warrior Project or an organization of your choosing.