Bill Text: VA HJR286 | 2022 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Celebrating the life of Thomas Patrick Burke, Jr.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 10-2)
Status: (Passed) 2022-03-03 - Bill text as passed House and Senate (HJ286ER) [HJR286 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2022-HJR286-Enrolled.html
WHEREAS, Thomas Patrick Burke, Jr., an honorable veteran, esteemed educator, and beloved member of the Richmond and Amelia County communities, died on February 3, 2022; and
WHEREAS, Thomas Patrick "Pat" Burke, Jr., graduated from John Marshall High School in Richmond in 1943 and briefly attended The College of William & Mary before he was drafted into the United States Navy in 1944; and
WHEREAS, Pat Burke served his country with courage and valor in the Pacific Theater during World War II as quartermaster of the U.S.S. Ascella; and
WHEREAS, following his service, Pat Burke resumed his studies, earning a bachelor's degree from The College of William & Mary and a master's degree from the University of Virginia; and
WHEREAS, in the 1950s, Pat Burke embarked upon a noble career as an educator at Dinwiddie High School, where he contributed greatly to the success of his students both in and out of the classroom; and
WHEREAS, Pat Burke was subsequently recruited to serve as the supervisor of history, government, and geography for the Virginia Department of Education, but his preference for the classroom soon led him back to teaching as he assumed a professorship in the history department at what was then Longwood College; and
WHEREAS, after 11 years at Longwood College, Pat Burke took a position at the newly founded Richmond Community High School in Richmond, where he proudly helped to develop the institution into one of the leading alternative high schools in the country; and
WHEREAS, Pat Burke was the consummate educator whose dedication to his students and love for teaching inspired many and built relationships that would last for many years; and
WHEREAS, an equally devoted scholar, Pat Burke took a research sabbatical at Trinity College Dublin in the mid-1970s, at which time he built a house in County Kerry that his family would happily descend upon time and time again; and
WHEREAS, Pat Burke's interest in Irish history led him to become a founding member of the Irish American Society of Greater Richmond, while he was highly involved with various local civic organizations to promote the well-being of others; and
WHEREAS, Pat Burke's favored pastimes included traveling with his wife, Helen, a predilection he cultivated during his years with the United States Navy, and gardening, a hobby that would lead to awards at regional flower shows and leave a verdant legacy for many future generations to enjoy; and
WHEREAS, Pat Burke will be fondly remembered and dearly missed by his loving wife, Helen; his son, Patrick, and his family; and numerous other family members and friends; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby note with great sadness the loss of Thomas Patrick Burke, Jr., an accomplished educator whose pursuit of the good life for himself and others affected countless lives; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Thomas Patrick Burke, Jr., as an expression of the General Assembly's respect for his memory.
