James V Burke Jr.

Dr. James V. Burke, 84, of Sayreville died Monday August 25, 2026 at his home. Born in Sayreville on November 25, 1940, Dr. Burke graduated from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, where he earned his Bachelor's (May 1962) and Master's (May 1963) degrees in English, an M.Ed. degree in Counseling Psychology (May 1970) and a doctorate in Philosophy of Education (May 1976). At Rutgers College he was Phi Beta Kappa, a Henry Rutgers Scholar and graduated in the top five percent of his class.

After 46 years in secondary education - first as an English teacher and later as a counselor - he spent the last 36 years of his career in East Brunswick as a school counselor. He lived his philosophy of service to others, and he enjoyed immensely his students, his colleagues and the parents in East Brunswick (and two of his students - Heidi Kim in 1997 and Jerry Kung in 2007 - won the Star-Ledger Scholar Award for best student in New Jersey, earning them both full scholarships to Harvard).

Through the years Dr. Burke had been an enthusiastic sportsman in football, basketball, tennis, swimming, softball and mountain climbing. He had also been an avid reader - especially in literature, history, politics, art, psychology, religion, classical music and philosophy.

He was also an excellent writer and during the past 50 years he wrote hundreds of Op. Ed. articles and letters to the editor on politics and current events for The Star-Ledger, The Home News Tribune, The Trenton Times, The Asbury Park Press, The Irish Voice and The Irish Echo. The title of Jim's doctoral thesis in philosophy (on Nietzsche and Schopenhauer) was Nietzsche's Answer to Schopenhauer's Pessimism: A Study of Its Educational Significance - in which he concluded that courage, love, loyalty, faith, kindness, forgiveness, trust, respect and gratitude are nine of the most important foundations of meaning in life.

All his life Jim personified the best of his Irish and American heritage. He had a warm and generous heart and an exceptional mind. He was renowned for his love of life, his faith in God, his unswerving support for the underdog, and his unconquerable spirit. Emerson wrote: "Nothing great was ever created without enthusiasm." And Jim lived his life with enthusiasm, with gusto and with curiosity - all born of his incomparable joy of being alive.

Traveling all over the world was also one of Jim's greatest passions. Through the years he appreciated the culture and beauty of Ireland, Scotland, France, Germany, Austria, England, Italy and Russia - as well as New Hampshire, Vermont, San Francisco, New York, Boston, Chicago, Seattle, Princeton, and Hawaii. In addition, he had a zest for meeting people; loved his many family cats (and agreed with the German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, who said: "Cats and dogs are kinder than most people"!), enjoyed his favorite classical music (from Beethoven, J.S. Bach, Johannes Brahms, Mozart, Chopin and Richard Wagner to Puccini, Verdi, Felix Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky, Handel and Rachmaninoff); relished hearing the world's best opera singers (from Rise Stevens, Jussi Bjorling, Boris Christoff and Paul Robeson to Maria Callas, Placido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti and Andrea Bocelli); and liked listening to Garrison Keillor, Brian Lehrer and Leonard Lopate on National Public Radio - as well as Bill Moyers and Ken Burns on public television.

Jim had a passion for justice and a sympathy for the underdog, and he was especially proud to serve as a Democratic Committeeman in Sayreville. Three of his favorite presidents during the past 100 years were Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy and Barack Obama. He was a totally genuine man who always maintained his childlike wonder and love of life. One of Jim's favorite maxims was written by the Swiss philosopher and poet Henri-Frederic Amiel: "Life is short - and we never have too much time for gladdening the hearts of those who are traveling the dark journey with us. Oh be swift to love! Make haste to be kind!"

His friends will remember Jim for his unfailing helpfulness, his consideration of others, and the quiet and faithful way he stood by his convictions. They will have to come to terms with an irreplaceable loss. Jim's house was always open for the friend in trouble, and his heart was always open to deal with the problems of others.

He was predeceased by his father, James V. Burke, his mother, Mary C. Burke and his sister Kathleen. He is survived by the love of his life, Antje Martens Oberwelland, and her beloved daughter Emily, in Ripley, Ontario, Canada; and by his sister, Patricia Freisen, in Fairfax, Virginia.

Funeral services will be held 9:30 a.m. Thursday at Maliszewski Memorial Home, 121 Main Street, Sayreville, followed by a 10 a.m. Mass at Our Lady of Victories R.C. church in Sayreville, with burial to follow at New Calvary Cemetery, Parlin. Calling hours will be 2 to 4 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations in Jim's name be made to the Dr. James V. Burke Scholarship Fund, c/o the Rutgers University Foundation, 305 George St., #4000, New Brunswick, NJ. For complete funeral details, directions, or to leave a message of condolence for the family, please visit www.spezzifuneralhome.com