Thomas Alvin Burke

Thomas “Tom” Burke, age 66, of Odessa, FL, died on Tuesday, July 7, 2015 at his residence. He was born in Summit, New Jersey, but lived most of his life in Florida. Tom was preceded in death by his parents, Alvin and Dorothy Burke, and his sister Barbara Crummie. He is remembered, with love, by his wife of 22 years, Susan Burke; step-son, Jesse Fitzgerald; son, Jason Burke; brother, John Burke, sister-in-law, Mariaisabel Palacios Burke, four nephews: Ryan Burke, Tyler Burke, Evan Burke, and Cory Burke; sister, Kay Friedman, brother-in-law, Bruce Friedman, and niece Deena; along with several other relatives and many friends. Tom enlisted in the United States Marine Corps where he specialized as a Combat Engineer. His bravery during the Vietnam War earned him a Purple Heart, Bronze Star Medal with Combat V Device, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnamese Service Medal, Presidential Unit Citation, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, and Combat Action Ribbon. He was honorably discharged as a Sergeant in 1970 after four years of service. After his military service, he began working for Busch Gardens Tampa where he held many roles and ultimately retired as Vice President of Engineering. During his 35 year career, Tom was instrumental in projects which contributed to the development and current footprint of the park. Tom will always be remembered by his Busch Gardens family and many friends as a caring, loyal, and genuine person with a heart of gold. Funeral services will be held at Florida National Cemetery, Bushnell, FL on Monday, July 13, 2015 at 11:30 AM. Florida National Cemetery is located at 6502 SW 102nd Avenue, Bushnell, FL 33513. In lieu of flowers, memorials in his honor would be appreciated to: Wounded Warrior Project - 10150 Highland Manor Drive #330 - Tampa, Florida 33610