Obituary of Patricia Newton Burke

Patricia (Newton) Burke, 81, of Glastonbury, CT, beloved wife for 57 years of the late John (Jack) H. Burke, died surrounded by family on Wednesday July 19, 2023 at Buckingham Heights. Born June 10, 1942 in Hartford, CT, she was the daughter of the late Wilbur C. and Leola (Bennett) Newton. Pat and Jack met when she was attending Wethersfield High School and while he was working as a soda jerk at Silas Dean Drugstore. He quickly fell in love with her radiant smile that lit up her eyes, her gentle nature, and her sense of humor. They dated remotely through college – Pat studying nursing at University of Connecticut and Jack majoring in sociology at St. Michael’s College in Vermont. They married in 1964, celebrating in style with wonderful people who became lifelong friends. She worked as a nurse in the surgical unit at St. Francis Hospital before taking time to raise their five children. Once the kids were grown, she went back to work in the insurance industry until retirement. They lived in Rutland, VT (8 years), Bloomfield, CT (12 years), Kings Park, NY (20 years) and, after retirement, settled in Glastonbury. Pat adored her children and grandkids and loved animals of all kinds - especially golden retrievers and birds! She enjoyed gardening, reading, sewing, knitting, and needlepoint. An avid antique doll collector, she was proud to share her collection of nearly 100 dolls with fellow doll club members, friends, and family. Pat traveled extensively throughout her life. In childhood, she and her younger brother Billy would accompany their parents to Europe for extended periods on their father’s engineering business trips, opening her mind to new perspectives and experiences. Later with Jack, she traveled to favorite spots like Cape Cod, MA, Naples, FL, and Ireland. Pat was incredibly kind, compassionate, warm, and patient. She taught her children to embrace others with respect, curiosity, and empathy, and inspired them to live their lives to the fullest. Pat is survived by her 5 children, Sheryl Adkins and her husband Douglas of South Glastonbury; Brian Burke of Rock Hill, SC; John K. Burke and his wife Melissa of Kings Park, NY; Jeffrey Burke and his wife Susan of Northport, NY; and Bethany Burke and her partner Shannon Michael Windham of Redondo Beach, CA. She was blessed with 14 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren (with two more on the way!), Brett, Quinten, and Matthew Adkins; Stephanie Fernandez and her husband Justin and their children Lucas and Harper; Michael, Joshua and his wife Belén, Sarah, Rebekah, and Karah Burke; Connor and Mackenzie Burke; Cory Cerussi and his wife Alexandra, Casey Burke, and Hailey Almeida and her husband Nicholas. A Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, August 18, 2023 at 11am at the Congregational Church of South Glastonbury – all are welcome! In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to www.alz.org. For online condolences please visit www.mulryanfh.com.