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BORN
1937
DIED
2020
Janet Burke Obituary
Janet Burke
Fort Pierce - Janet Burke, 83, of Fort Pierce, passed away peacefully on December 9, 2020, with her family by her side.
Janet was born on Staten Island, NY, in 1937, to Leonard and Jacoba Larsen and had two older sisters, Elsa Hvitstein of Norway and Ruth Haertel of Texas. Even as a child, Janet had a kind and gentle soul that brought out the best in those around her. One of her favorite early memories was sitting in her father's tugboat and talking with the sailors who were on their best manners with Larsen's little daughter.
Janet had a calm and quiet determination. As a young woman, she went to secretarial school and landed a job on Wall Street in Manhattan. She met and fell in love with Tom Burke on Staten Island. Both overcame their families' misgivings due to religious differences and were happily married surrounded by family in 1957.
Their deep, undeniable love was the core foundation that their family was built upon. Tom and Janet enjoyed sixty years of true love.
During the first twelve years of their marriage, Tom and Janet moved wherever the Navy sent them. Tom spent many months at sea serving the country and Janet raised their four small children with grace, quiet determination, and a whole lot of love. Following that, they lived on Long Island, NY; in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; and in Paris, France. After many years of adventures and travels, Tom and Janet finally settled in Vero Beach, FL.
Janet raised a very close-knit family and created a beautiful home filled with love and joyful celebrations. She had a servant's heart and was always available for her family and others. When her own children were young, she was a Den mother, Girl Scout leader, and Sunday School teacher. When they had grown, Janet cared for her grandchildren, mentored grade-school children and knew all of the neighborhood children by name. Quick to smile and laugh, Janet would play cards and board games and crawl around on the floor with her grandchildren. She guided Vero Beach elementary school students with her gentle heart and helped them learn to read. Every year she even made individual Halloween bags for each child in Seagrove with all of their favorite candy inside.
Janet was immensely proud of her extended family as well. She maintained ties to her relatives in Norway and brought all of her children there to meet them. She entertained her Norwegian cousins at her home in Vero Beach on several occasions and also taught her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren how to make Norwegian Christmas cookies.
She had a deep respect for everyone around her and we are better people having learned from her example. Each individual in her home, the supermarket, the church, and every other place she visited experienced her grace and kindness. When you visited her home, she would always have your favorite food and beverage waiting for you. Janet also had a close relationship with Jesus and the loving community at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Vero Beach. Christmas was one of her favorite times of year. Every year her immaculate home would be decorated with the loveliest boughs and bows, complete with an incredible Christmas village filled with snow, music, and lights. She will be especially missed this Christmas.
Janet was the beloved mother of Thomas Burke IV (Kathy), Kerry Carmel (Leon), Leonard Burke (Jeannie), and Janet Witchger (Andrew); proud grandmother of Melissa, Jonathan, Thomas V, Brianna, Andrew, Jessica, Kathryn, and Christian; great-grandmother to Rachael and Molly, and loving aunt to thirteen nieces and nephews. Janet was predeceased by her loving husband in 2017.
There will not be a service but please take a quiet moment with us to thank God for our time with her. In lieu of sending flowers, the family requests that you donate to the Alzheimer's Association.
Fort Pierce - Janet Burke, 83, of Fort Pierce, passed away peacefully on December 9, 2020, with her family by her side.
Janet was born on Staten Island, NY, in 1937, to Leonard and Jacoba Larsen and had two older sisters, Elsa Hvitstein of Norway and Ruth Haertel of Texas. Even as a child, Janet had a kind and gentle soul that brought out the best in those around her. One of her favorite early memories was sitting in her father's tugboat and talking with the sailors who were on their best manners with Larsen's little daughter.
Janet had a calm and quiet determination. As a young woman, she went to secretarial school and landed a job on Wall Street in Manhattan. She met and fell in love with Tom Burke on Staten Island. Both overcame their families' misgivings due to religious differences and were happily married surrounded by family in 1957.
Their deep, undeniable love was the core foundation that their family was built upon. Tom and Janet enjoyed sixty years of true love.
During the first twelve years of their marriage, Tom and Janet moved wherever the Navy sent them. Tom spent many months at sea serving the country and Janet raised their four small children with grace, quiet determination, and a whole lot of love. Following that, they lived on Long Island, NY; in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; and in Paris, France. After many years of adventures and travels, Tom and Janet finally settled in Vero Beach, FL.
Janet raised a very close-knit family and created a beautiful home filled with love and joyful celebrations. She had a servant's heart and was always available for her family and others. When her own children were young, she was a Den mother, Girl Scout leader, and Sunday School teacher. When they had grown, Janet cared for her grandchildren, mentored grade-school children and knew all of the neighborhood children by name. Quick to smile and laugh, Janet would play cards and board games and crawl around on the floor with her grandchildren. She guided Vero Beach elementary school students with her gentle heart and helped them learn to read. Every year she even made individual Halloween bags for each child in Seagrove with all of their favorite candy inside.
Janet was immensely proud of her extended family as well. She maintained ties to her relatives in Norway and brought all of her children there to meet them. She entertained her Norwegian cousins at her home in Vero Beach on several occasions and also taught her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren how to make Norwegian Christmas cookies.
She had a deep respect for everyone around her and we are better people having learned from her example. Each individual in her home, the supermarket, the church, and every other place she visited experienced her grace and kindness. When you visited her home, she would always have your favorite food and beverage waiting for you. Janet also had a close relationship with Jesus and the loving community at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Vero Beach. Christmas was one of her favorite times of year. Every year her immaculate home would be decorated with the loveliest boughs and bows, complete with an incredible Christmas village filled with snow, music, and lights. She will be especially missed this Christmas.
Janet was the beloved mother of Thomas Burke IV (Kathy), Kerry Carmel (Leon), Leonard Burke (Jeannie), and Janet Witchger (Andrew); proud grandmother of Melissa, Jonathan, Thomas V, Brianna, Andrew, Jessica, Kathryn, and Christian; great-grandmother to Rachael and Molly, and loving aunt to thirteen nieces and nephews. Janet was predeceased by her loving husband in 2017.
There will not be a service but please take a quiet moment with us to thank God for our time with her. In lieu of sending flowers, the family requests that you donate to the Alzheimer's Association.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Published by TC Palm from Dec. 17 to Dec. 20, 2020.
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