Randy Burke

Randy Burke
May 26, 1955 – November 18, 2025
Randy Burke never went quietly-not even at the end. On November 18, 2025, after a lifetime of refusing to sit still, he slipped away peacefully in his sleep, still wearing the stubborn grin that said, "I'm not done yet."
A first-round NFL draft pick as a wide receiver in 1977, Randy played the game with speed and flair, but the field was always too small for him. Life was his real arena, and he played it full-speed, full-volume, full-heart until the final whistle.
He talked to everyone and anyone-cashiers, bartenders, strangers in airport lines, the guy next to him on the plane, the nurse drawing blood, the kid pumping gas. Randy didn't walk into a room; he announced himself, made sure every soul in it knew his name, and within five minutes had them laughing, swapping stories, and feeling like they'd known him forever. That booming voice and infectious optimism left a permanent imprint on every life he touched.
Life threw its hardest hits-stage-4 cancer chief among them-and Randy just lowered his shoulder and kept running. He beat the disease, then spent the next years proving it: skiing, hiking, hunting, and-above all-golfing. The man played golf the way other people breathe. Rain, wind, chemo hangover, broken bones, oxygen tank riding shotgun in the cart-none of it mattered.
Doctors told him to take it easy. Randy heard "course is open, see you at dawn." If there was daylight and a tee time, he was on the first tee, grinning ear-to-ear, pure joy lighting up his face just because he was still there to play.
If you knew Randy, you knew this: when he wasn't golfing, he was at the theater. Didn't matter the genre, didn't matter the reviews-if a new movie opened, Randy was there opening weekend with a giant popcorn, loving every minute of it.
Even as his body began to falter, Randy refused to ease off the throttle. If he could stand, he was moving. If he could swing a club, shoulder a rifle, or click into ski boots, he was doing it-right up to the very last week. He lived every single day like it was fourth-and-goal, and he was still the fastest man on the field.
Randy leaves behind a devastated but grateful family who were lucky enough to be on his team:
• Wife and forever love Amy Burke (married December 13, 1991)
• His 99-year-old mother, Gloria Burke
• Son William Cregan Burke (Layne Krupilski)
• Daughter Brennan Burke (TJ Sherwood)
• Stepson Kristopher Kevin Owens (deceased)
• Stepdaughter Amanda Artifon
• Stepson Miles Owens
• Brand-new grandson Robert Cregan Burke
• A whole cheering section of grandchildren, nieces, and nephews he adored
• Sisters Lori Laverriere and Leslie Booker
• And countless friends who still can't believe the world got quieter
Born in Miami, Florida, on May 26, 1955, to William Burke and Gloria LaVogue, Randy spent seventy glorious years proving that optimism isn't naïveté-it's a superpower.
Celebration of life details to come. In lieu of flowers, Randy would want you to book a tee time, catch whatever just opened at the theater, tell a stranger a story, tip big, and live like tomorrow is wide open-because that's exactly how he did it, right to the very last day.
Fore, big man. We love you. Save us a spot on the first tee and the good seats for the 7:00 show.
Care Cremation and Funeral Service is honored to be entrusted with final care.