Thomas Burke Obituary

1930-2025

Thomas Anthony Burke, Jr. died on Tuesday, January 14, 2025 at his home in Street, Maryland, under hospice care for congestive heart failure. Tom was born on January 15, 1930 in Wilkes-Barre, PA to Thomas A. Burke and Eva (NM) Warnick Burke. He graduated from St. John's Parochial School in 1942, attended Coughlin High School in Wilkes-Barre from 1943-1944, attended high school in Taunton, MA in 1944-1945, and graduated from Roman Catholic High School in Philadelphia, PA in 1947. After high school, he attended night school at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He pursued further educational opportunities including graduating from the U.S. Army Finance School in 1951 then again in civilian life, he completed courses in computer studies at IBM, and graduated from the Harvard University Smaller Company Management Program in 1983.

Tom worked after school and weekends in Wilkes-Barre as a paperboy, at a used car lot, and in restaurants.

In Philadelphia he worked at Stonehart Co. After high school, he joined the Naval Reserves and cruised to Nova Scotia, but he didn't care for Navy life, so he left the Navy and joined the Army in 1948. After his basic training in Breckenridge, KY, he was sent to the Army Chemical Center in Edgewood, Maryland (aka Edgewood Arsenal), where he met his wife of 73 years, Barbara Lee Davis of Street, Maryland.

Barbara and Tom were married on December 8, 1951 just prior to Tom's being transferred out of Edgewood.

After a short stay in Indiana, while Tom attended Finance School, they were stationed in Wurtzburg, Germany.

Tom retired from active duty in 1953 but remained active in the Army Reserves from 1954-1966, retiring with the rank of Major.

Back home in Street in 1954, Tom began his career at Harford Mutual Insurance Company in the accounting department. From there, he was moved to the tabulating department and managed that department until he was promoted to Vice-President of the company, then to President. Tom was President and CEO of the Harford Mutual Insurance Company from 1982 until he retired in 1994. He served on the board of directors for the Forest Hill Bank and the First National Bank of Maryland.

Tom was active in the community, serving as a Scout Master for the Boy Scout Troop at Mt. Vernon Church, and as an active member of the Band Parents' Association and PTA at North Harford High School. He was a member of St. Mary's of the Assumption Church where he participated in many church activities as well as being a lay reader, Eucharistic Minister, teacher, and choir member.

Tom is survived by his wife, Barbara ("Bobbie"), son Thomas A. Burke III (Myong), daughters Irene Yeakel (William) and Mary Collins (Scott), foster son Khamsith Phimmasone (Bouason), grandsons William Collins (Madeline "Della"), John Collins (Hillary), foster grandchildren Christopher and Vanissa Phimmasone, and great-grandchildren Theodore Collins, Gwendolyn Collins, and Charlotte Collins.

There will be a funeral Mass at St. Mary's of the Assumption Church in Pylesville, Maryland on February 15, 2025 at 11:00 am with a reception in the church hall following the service. For directions and/or to send condolences, please visit:

www.harkinsfuneralhome.com