John Joseph Burke

John Joseph Burke, Jr., (Jack) of Fayetteville, NC, lost his short battle with cancer on July 7, 2017.   He was 71 years old. 

Jack joined the US Army and served eight years with two tours of duty in Vietnam on a helicopter gunship.  He was stationed at Fort Bragg, NC and completed his military service as a Staff Sergeant.   He stayed in Fayetteville and eventually started his own business, Industrial Equipment Sales and Services.  Jack loved his work as a forklift repairman, but most importantly enjoyed his customers.  He was loyal and treated everyone fairly and always showed up for work, even when he may not have felt like being there.

Jack loved dancing – square dancing, line dancing, chacha, shag and his favorite, the waltz and he was good at them all.  He was a member of the American Legion Post 109 in Benson and spent many hours working on the Saturday night dance committee.

He loved his Honda Goldwings and the Goldwing Road Riders Association and friends with whom he spent many hours and miles traveling.  He traveled to Key West, FL and Niagara Falls, Canada on his bike along with numerous rides on the Tail of the Dragon and in the mountains of North Carolina.  Jack spent years restoring cars.  His favorite was a 1966 Pontiac GTO.  He won many awards with this car and his Pontiac Bonneville convertible.

Jack did not like tears…..but he loved a good game of Farkle and Rummicub with his friends and family.  He always spoke his mind regardless of how it might make you feel…..but if you were a friend, you were always a friend and he made sure you knew it.

Jack was preceded in death by his dad, John Joseph Burke, Sr. and is loved by his mother, Therese Speichinger, and sister, Rosemary Vogel, of Lexington, GA, son, John Joseph Burke III (Jay) of Fayetteville, NC and daughter, Ericka Burke Sutton & husband, Matthew of Big Pine Key, Florida, four grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild, step-brother, Peter Perrotta and wife, Wendy Hess of Hanson, Massachusetts and special friend, Wanda Johnson.  In addition, other special friends supported him through his battle by helping him do all those last minute things, like changing the oil in his lawnmower and keeping his yard beautiful, and his family thanks Rich Ruhnke and Ron Winstead for their help and friendship thru many, many years.  Daily calls from his step-brother, Peter made his day along with the calls with his mom, Therese.

No services will be held and Jack’s ashes will be spread among his flowers privately as were his wishes.  If you would like to do something in Jack’s honor, plant a rosebush in your yard.  He was a pretty good gardener and felt the world could always use another flower.  Monetary donations can be made to the SECU Hospice House, Johnston Health Foundation, PO Box 1376, Smithfield, NC  27577 and will be used to place a Veteran’s Memorial Brick in memory of Jack.

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