William Patrick Burke, Jr.

William Patrick Burke, Jr., 84, passed away peacefully after a long illness on April 27, 2025, at home in Bowie, Maryland, surrounded by his loving family.

He was born on October 20, 1940, in Nanticoke, Pennsylvania, to parents William Patrick Burke and Elinor Runyan Burke.

Bill graduated from Newport Township High School in 1958 and attended Wilkes College as an electrical engineering student. As a child, he spent summers in Fort Myers, Florida with his grandfather. On February 20, 1965 he married his wife, Carol Andrea Leyman. He spent his entire career of 36 years serving the federal government in the U.S. Army and National Institutes of Health. He retired after 30 years with the Naval Intelligence Systems Command as a network engineer.

Spending time with his sons and grandchildren was important to him. He enjoyed crabbing, fishing, and waterskiing on the Chesapeake Bay with his family and friends. He was always ready for a new home project. He enjoyed working on the family cars and was known for helping out neighbors with their projects and repairs. He was particularly skilled at carpentry, electronics and stained glass.

Bill is survived by his wife of 60 years, Carol A. (Leyman) Burke, sons William Brian Burke of Southern Pines, NC and Daniel Patrick Burke (Kristin) of Smyrna, DE, sister-in-law Barbara M. Burke of Orefield, PA, niece Christine M. Thomas (Randy) of Fogelsville, PA, nephew Josh Burke (Emily) of Bryn Mawr, PA, niece Sonya Burke of Albuquerque, NM, and grandchildren Megan, Kaylee, Colin, and Camryn. He was preceded in death by his parents, William Burke and Elinor Burke Markiewicz, his stepfather, John Markiewicz and his brothers, Dennis and James.

Visitation will be at noon on Thursday, May 8th at Beall Funeral Home, 6512 NW Crain Highway in Bowie, Maryland. The Memorial Service will begin promptly at 1:30 p.m. Interment will be at a later date at Maryland Veterans Cemetery in Crownsville, Maryland.

The family suggests donations to St. Jude’s Children's Research Hospital https://www.stjude.org/donate and Chesapeake Bay Foundation https://secure.cbf.org/site/Donation.