WESTFIELD – George Palmer Burke, Jr., 89, an avid sailor, passed away peacefully after a long illness on Tuesday, August 7, 2012, at the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke. Born in Milton, MA on October 22, 1922, to the late George P. and Agnes (Gatherum) Burke, he grew up on Larry Street in West Quincy.
He was a 1940 graduate of Quincy High School, attended Auburn University during WWII, and graduated from Northeastern University in 1951 with a degree in Mathematics. George also received the “Chartered Life Underwriter Designation” from The American College of Financial Studies in Bryn Mawr, PA in 1964. During WWII, he was a member of the 1471st Maintenance Engineers, serving as a non commissioned officer in France and Germany in the European Theatre of Operations.
He joined Mass Mutual in 1951, retiring in 1986, after 35 years, as a Senior Officer and Director of Group Pensions and Technical Services. George served on the Board of Directors of the Springfield Chapter of American Society of Chartered Life Underwriters (ASCLU); he taught courses for them and The American College for many years and was a past chairman of the local Golden Key Society of The American College. He served as an Officer of the Springfield Squadron of the United States Power Squadrons, where he taught the “sail” course for many years. As a model railroader and he designed and built his own railroad. He also enjoyed listening to music, reading, and especially sailing on Long Island Sound and Cape Cod Bay in his sailboat, “Something Else”.
He leaves his wife of 40 years, Dorothy E. (Pope) Burke of Southwick. He is also survived by his children; Patricia Murawski and her husband Stanley of Durham, CT, James S. Burke of Wilbraham, MA, Charlotte Schloerb and her husband Kevin of Ridgewood, NJ, Susan Wilson and her husband Craig of East Longmeadow, MA and George P. Burke III and his wife Judy of Colorado Springs, CO, 15 grandchildren, 8 great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.
The funeral will be held on Monday, August 13th at 10:00 a.m. at the Firtion-Adams Funeral Service, 76 Broad Street, Westfield. Burial with military honors will follow the service at the Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 1390 Main Street, Agawam. The family will receive visitors from 9:00 a.m. -10:00 a.m. preceding the service. The family wishes to thank the Hospice Services of Western Massachusetts and the Soldiers’ Home for their wonderful care that was given to George.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Soldiers’ Home, 110 Cherry Street, Holyoke, MA 01040.
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