Shawn H. Burke

BENSON, NC- Shawn Howard Burke, 72, formerly of Bridgewater, MA passed away on Monday with his family at his side.  The family had drawn Shawn to move from New England to the Harnett County countryside.  He was the son of the late Richard Thomason Burke, Sr. and Margaret Keough Burke. A memorial service will be held Monday August 29th at 10:00 am in the chapel of Bryan-Lee Funeral Home, Angier. Shawn is survived by his wife of 50 years, Nancy Richmond Burke; daughters, Amy Burke Tardiff and husband, Keith of Odenton, MD., Katie Burke Soderquist and husband, Kevin of Holly Springs; son, Jeffrey Shawn Burke and wife, Melanie of El Cajon, CA; brothers, Edmund S. Burke and wife, Janet of Juneau, AK, Michael J. Burke of Cape Cod, MA, David P. Burke and wife, Sally of Neptune Beach, FL; grandchildren, Joshua, Ellen and Meghan Tardiff, Lauren and Corinne Soderquist, and Ryan and Dillon Burke.  In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his older brother Richard T. Burke, Jr. Shawn cherished the time he spent with his family and showed his love through his works, repairing and constructing things.  He was an avid fly fisherman who tied his own flies and often gave his successful ones away to other enthusiasts.  Shawn also loved canoeing, kayaking and experimenting with retrofits to his boats and he was a highly skilled, creative handyman.  He was always a nature lover, interested in animal and bird watching, gardening, walking nature trails and spending time on the water whenever he could. He also passed this appreciation of nature on to his children. Shawn served proudly in the U.S. Coast Guard from 1961 through 1965.  He also enjoyed a rewarding 12-year teaching career at Brockton High School in MA.  He also worked in several different construction related trades after that.  In all of these fields, his genuine concern for people and his desire to help people out was evident for all to see.  His unselfish, encouraging and kind demeanor made him a person that you felt lucky to know. He will be very sadly missed by family and friends who all enjoyed his wonderful sense of humor and eagerness to get things done with others and for others. In lieu of flowers, Shawn’s family would like memorial contributions to be made to Baptists on Mission at http://baptistsonmission.org/Donate to support things like their Wheelchair Ramp project that Shawn thought very fondly of and did similar projects in his own life.