Jane F. Burke

Jane F. Burke, 58, died Sunday, December 7, after a valiant battle with metastases of a rare eye cancer. Her family and friends treasure her generosity of spirit, wonderful smile and infectious laugh, her sense of humor, her musical gifts, and her ability to make everyone feel included and special--all of which she kept to the end.

Jane was born January 5, 1956, to Odra W. and Joyce Hale Burke and raised in Knoxville, TN. She graduated from the University of Tennessee Knoxville, where she was active in music and theatre and began graduate studies in theatre and was a staff singer for Church Street UMC. A growing acting career in professional theatre drew her away from school and she appeared in many regional productions. She was a member of Actor’s Equity.

After moving to Atlanta in 1985 to realize her dream of singing in the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus and the Atlanta Chamber Chorus with Robert Shaw, Jane was also staff singer for several churches and ran her own business providing personal business management services. Answering the call to music ministry, she received her Masters of Sacred Music degree with honors from Emory University in 1996. She served as minister of music for Chamblee First United Methodist Church, Saint Mark United Methodist Church and McKendree United Methodist Church, all in the Atlanta area. She also served for 16 years as the director of the Festival Singers of Atlanta and often appeared in cabaret with friends Amy Holloway and Larry Manning. Her musical colleagues will miss her beautiful voice, enthusiasm, understanding, skill, laughter and joy she brought to making music of all kinds.

Jane is survived by her sister Susan Burke (Robert Mark) DeMonbrun, brother Pat (Janne) Burke, several close cousins including Patti Kelley, best friend Mary Abbott Waite and a wide circle of family and friends. A Memorial Celebration of Jane’s life will be held January 3, 2015, at 3 o'clock at Saint Mark United Methodist Church, 781 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30309 In lieu of flowers, family and friends request consideration of a gift to the music ministry of any of the churches Jane served or your church, to the Saint Mark UMC Breakfast Club, or to a charity of your choice.