William Burke Sellers

Born on August 9th, 1995, in Huntsville, AL, Burke was a light in our lives from the moment he arrived, and grew into a deeply loved husband, son, brother, uncle, nephew, and friend. Burke was brilliant with a quick wit and sense of humor like no other – he found so much joy in making others laugh and he did so effortlessly. He could make a friend out of anyone but would just as quickly drop anything to help a stranger.
He earned his bachelor's degree and worked incredibly hard to build a future career. Burke spent 4 years working at NASA, contributing his sharp mind and technical talent. In 2024, he continued his federal service with the Department of the Treasury. To know Burke was to know his compassion, exuberance, and passion – for cooking, collecting, and working on his cars. He could make the best French onion soup you've ever tasted, then turn around and rebuild an engine. Burke could fix just about anything – whether it was a stubborn engine, a broken appliance, or something that appeared beyond repair. If it could be figured out, he would figure it out. If he couldn't, he would certainly let us all know with the kind of impatient, hilarious commentary that only he could pull off.
Burke's life was marked by extraordinary courage. Burke felt everything intensely and carried the heavy weight of mental illness for most of his young adulthood. Alongside this, he lived with the daily pain and challenges of Epidermolysis Bullosa, yet he pushed forward with incredible strength. In the last chapter of his life, he worked tirelessly for sobriety, stability, and peace, and we are so deeply proud of him.
He will forever be remembered for his resilience, irreverent humor, creativity, and his fiercely caring heart. Our lives will never be the same without Burke, but we are forever better for having known and loved him. Burke leaves behind his devoted wife, Riley Sellers, as well as his loving parents, siblings, niece, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and so many family members and dear friends. His cherished pets – Lucy, Hammy, and Frankie – will miss him too.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Burke's honor to debra of America (www.debra.org) supporting individuals with Epidermolysis Bullosa, or Mental Health America (www.mhanational.org).
A private memorial for close family and friends will be held in the coming days as we gather to honor the life of our sweet Burke and begin to absorb the weight of this loss.