Walter J. Burke

Walter J. Burke

Born in Denver, Colorado on December 24, 1931

Died on March 27^th, at 2 a.m. at his home in Montrose, Colorado

Walter was born in Denver, Colorado to Cora M. and Fred O. Burke on December 24, 1931, to an Irish Catholic family in North Denver.

Walter had five siblings and attended St. Dominic Grade school and Holy Family High School, class of 1949 where he played football and had many friends.  He and his wife, Marril Lee, attended all class reunion celebrations every five years for most of his life.  The only one he missed was when he was a combat marine in Korea in 1952.

He was drafted at the age of 19 to serve in the Marine Corps in Korea. He was sent to Korea where he said he spent the coldest winter of his life in a foxhole sleeping on makeshift bunks and being shot at by the Chinese.  He was honorably discharged in 1953.

He worked and lived in Coal Creek Canyon near Boulder when he was a young bachelor.  He ran cattle and rented horses and lived in a small cabin.  He married his young bride at Holy Family Church in Denver on December 27, 1955, and took her to the mountains to live there.  They lost their first child while living there, then they moved to Bailey, Colorado where he was in business with his dad and uncle subdividing property in the mountains. He was never one to sit idle, always coming up with new ideas and ambition.  He and his family bought land in Evergreen and started a new subdivision there called Evergreen Meadows.  While they lived in Bailey, Colorado they had eight more children and Walter built them a nice home on top of a mountain all by himself.  They lived in this mountain community for 16 years. Walter was a handyman who could repair and build almost anything. He never lacked the ambition to build or make things around him better.

Standing around a campfire in the mountains on a snowy October day in 1964, Walt and Roy Romer bought the Arrowhead Ski Area.  They later changed the name to Geneva Basin.  Walter Burke and his family operated the ski area for many years.  All of the children were raised to ski and play in the snow at Geneva Basin.

In 1978 he moved his family to Montrose Colorado where they lived until 1979, when his friend Roy Romer called and asked him if he would be interested in joining him in buying some John Deere Industrial stores in the state of Kansas. So off they went again to live in Great Bend, Kansas where he was once again the manager of the stores in Great Bend, Dodge City, Salina, Topeka, and Wichita, Kansas.  They lived in Great Bend, Kansas through a hundred-year flood and lost much of their family heirlooms and possessions. Soon after, they also lost their son Patrick.

They moved back to Montrose, Colorado in 1984 and with a houseful of young teenagers, bought an old gas station on the corner of South Main Street and Park Avenue. Walter had the boys save all the bricks from the former gas station, clean them and put them on pallets to be reused for other projects. Then, they built the Park Avenue True Value Hardware Store.  At last they had a wonderful business in their chosen city!  Walter managed the hardware store for almost 17 years along with his daughter, Chris and her husband, Wayne Adams.  Most of the children worked there off and on through their teenage years. He managed to keep all five boys and three girls out of trouble in their formidable years.

The children went on to make their parents very proud. Some graduating from college and all going on to successful careers.   Walter was always interested in whatever field his children chose for their life’s work.  He was a wonderful man, husband and father who accomplished much in his life.

He is preceded in death by his parents, and his brother Fred J. Burke and his sister, Catherine Burke.  Also by their first baby girl, Ruth Cora, later by a son, Patrick Michael Burke, and their great-granddaughter, Beah Lang Betzing.

He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Marril Lee, his children, Chris Adams (Wayne); Tim Burke (Rita); Steve Burke (Jackie); Pete Burke (Tammy); Joe Burke; Carrie Stephenson (Tedd); and Colleen Aller (Billy).  He is also survived by his brother Bob Burke; Ida Martin (Jack); and Rosemary Burke all of Denver Area, as well as 17 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren, and 13 nieces and nephews.

He was a proud man who proved that he could do anything he set his mind to.  The family always marveled at his resourcefulness.  He believed in using what was at hand and not buying new unless all else failed.  He was a proud marine and a wonder to all who knew him well.

The family would like to invite you to a ceremony with full military honors at Grand View Cemetery on Sunset Mesa in Montrose, Colorado on Monday, April 17^th at 1:00pm. A Celebration of Life and reception will follow at 2:00pm at Grace Community Church 16731 Woodgate Rd. Montrose, Colorado. In addition to flowers, donations can be made to the Montrose Veterans and Family Relief Fund PO Box 1211, Montrose, Colorado 81402.

Crippin Funeral Home of Montrose is assisting the family.