David Eugene Burke

David Eugene Burke 89, died peacefully on Christmas Eve in the Menlo Park home he built for his family in 1962. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Geraldine (Jerrie); and their four children and their spouses: Nancy and Ted Way of Folsom, Brian Burke and Kathy Lamprecht of Capitola, Julie and Jason Hooz of Santa Cruz and Thomas Burke of San Jose. In addition, he is survived by his grandson, U.S. Army Sgt. David Way, currently serving in Iraq; and his granddaughter, Andria Way, and husband Nate Roth of Sacramento. It was luck, perhaps, that David, a native San Franciscan, met his sweetheart, a clerk at Metropolitan Life Insurance, on a cable car. Their first date was a Frank Sinatra concert. A musician (his avocation), he played - and taught - piano and performed during the Big Band era in hotels and other venues in the SF Bay Area. But he is perhaps best known for building and developing more than 2,000 homes in the Bay Area, mostly in West San Jose, between Saratoga Ave. and Lawrence Expressway. His Burke Construction Co., Inc. was known for building houses for first-time homeowners. He graduated from St. Ignatius High School in San Francisco, received a degree in accounting and finance from the University of San Francisco and then served in the U.S. Navy as a lieutenant, navigator and executive officer of fleet rescue tugs during WWII. He also worked as a state auditor. His mantra was "life is great." And he lived it to the fullest, building homes, raising a family and pursuing his passions. He was a founding member of the Sharon Heights Golf and Country Club where he was an avid golfer and tennis player. A Vigil will be held Monday at 7 p.m. at Spangler Mortuary, 650 Live Oak Ave., Menlo Park. A Funeral Mass will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday at St. Denis Church, 2250 Avy Ave., Menlo Park.