William H. Burke, Sr.

William “Bill” H. Burke, Sr., 72, suddenly went home to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Valentine’s Day. He was born October 13, 1945 in Tifton, GA. Bill was the son to the late Vernon and Edna(McSwain) Burke. Bill graduated from Leesburg High School and then attended Junior College and shortly thereafter enlisted into the United States Air Force and served our country during the Vietnam era. Following the military Bill worked as a watermelon farmer and at Florida Power before moving to Dunnellon in 1974 from Ft. Meyers. While in Dunnellon Bill was self employed as the owner of  Burke’s Appliances. He never met a stranger and had many friends. He truly enjoyed to work and keep busy around the house always tackling a project, but besides working he loved his tractors, his animals and watching a good movie with his family. Bill will be dearly missed but his memories will continue to live on in the  hearts of all his family and friends.

He is preceded in death by his brother, Andrew Burke and his grandson Richard “Tripp” Wayne Mills, III.

Those left to cherish his memories are his wife of thirty five years, Shirley A. Burke, Dunnellon; his sons, William H. Burke, Jr. (Beverly), Ocala, Richard Mills, Dunnellon; his daughters, Valerie Lane (Barry), TN, Diane Lake (Jim), Tampa, FL, Cindy Schweers (Todd), Dunnellon, Tammy Raulerson (David, Jr.), Dunnellon; his sisters, Sharon Smith (Ernest), NC, Nancy “Babs” Court, TN, Marie Myatt, NC; his thirteen grandchildren and one great grandchild.