Edward Boruam Burke Sr.

Edward Boruam Burke, Sr., 89, of Tennent, NJ passed away peacefully on November 19, 2024. He was born on May 8th, 1935, in the original Freehold Hospital (Parker House) in Freehold Borough.
Edward grew up in Tennent, New Jersey on the S.B. Burke and Son Family Farm where he learned to farm from his father, Samuel. Over the course of his life, he shared his love of farming with his son and grandchildren. He found great joy in farming an array of flowers from mountain pink and Sweet Williams to his personal favorite, pansies. Many people came from all over the tri-state area to buy his flowers to supply their own garden centers.
Known to many as "Boruam" or "Pop," he was an old-fashioned man who believed he could fix anything on the farm with some twine and duct tape (even if it took more than one attempt). He was incredibly passionate and proud of the two Model T's he owned with his son because they were both bought new from the Mount Ford Agency in Englishtown, NJ (the first Ford dealership in NJ) by his father Samuel in 1915 and 1926. Nothing excited Edward more than driving these Model T's in the Englishtown Memorial Day parade alongside his wife, son and grandchildren or taking the Model T's to countless car shows. He relished the attention his father's cars would get.
Later in life, he enjoyed exploring the country with his wife, Helen, in a motor home - frequently visiting Blue Mountain in Pennsylvania and attending different tractor and estate sales. At one of these sales in Blue Mountain, he came across a "baby" Model T which was the perfect addition to the Englishtown Memorial Day parades. This allowed his grandchildren and great-grandchildren to ride alongside him and his 1915 Model T.
He adored his grandchildren and great grandchildren, and he was quite the storyteller. He never missed an opportunity to share a story with his grandchildren. If they told him they had already heard a particular story he would respond that that was okay, because he wanted to hear it again. He also had an endearing soft spot for animals - even creating what many close to him would call a "cat sanctuary" at the farm. Many would say Pop had a hard exterior shell, but the moment you placed a small kitten in his hands, he melted and just had to make room in the home for them.
Surviving Edward is his wife, Helen Vass Burke; a son, Edward Burke, Jr. and wife Laura Burke; a daughter, Kathy Boston; seven grandchildren, Edward Burke III (James), Tiffany Hawk (James), Krystle Amman (Matthew), Helen Zaccaria (Christopher), Richard Burke (Marina), Carlee Boston, Mary Bunyan (Christopher), and four great grandchildren: Paige Hawk, James Travis Hawk, Zoellie Boston and Anderson Zaccaria.
The viewing will be held at the Higgins Memorial Home, 20 Center Street, Freehold on Wednesday, December 4, from 4-7 PM. Funeral services will be held at the Old Tennent Presbyterian Church on Thursday, December 5 at 10:00 AM followed by interment at Old Tennent Cemetery.
In lieu of floral arrangements, memorial donations can be made to Raising Hope for Others, Inc. in honor of his memory.