Martin Patrick Burke Jr.

WWII Navy Seabee Veteran, Burke served on Saipan and Okinawa as a member of the 36th and 125th USN Construction Battalions. As a cradle Catholic and as one who never uttered a bad or unkind word, and as a lifetime non-drinker, he was readily tapped to serve his fellow soldiers as Assistant Chaplain.

After his service, he graduated at the top of his class, serving as President, with a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh. He always credited the excellent mathematics instruction from the nuns at St. Justin’s High School (Pittsburgh) with setting him up for success in engineering. From St. Justin, he had accelerated his graduation during his high school junior year so he could enlist in the WWII effort.

After college graduation, he embarked on his professional career, in leadership of Ohio’s Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Bridges. He advanced the structural design of Ohio’s bridges, contributed to the growth of the Bureau while training scores of young engineers. He elevated the prominence of the Bureau through many published research papers presented to the National Transportation Research Board.

After 35 years, he retired briefly, and in 1982, joined Burgess and Niple Architects and Consulting Engineers (Columbus, OH), helping to build their bridge design practice. He was technical advisor on a 10-year project reviewing bridges designed by 80 consulting firms. He played a pivotal role in Burgess and Niple’s awarding of and design of Columbus’ Discovery Bridge. He was most proud of his design work on that beautiful bridge.

His research and publishing only accelerated, becoming the author of six books: Bridge Aesthetics Around the World, (c.1991); Integral and Semi-Integral Bridges, (c. 2009); Bridge Design Excellence: Aesthetics, Structures and History, (c, 2013), Structure Movement Systems: The Path to More Effective Bridge Design (c. 2016); The Growth/Stress Generating Phenomenon, Neglected Nemesis of Structures, Safety and Life, (c. 2017); Our Explosive World: Growth/Stress Phenomena, (c. 2018).

His international acclaim was due in part to Bridge Aesthetics Around the World. He recruited and collaborated with top designers around the world, creating life-long friendships. Because of his highly regarded published works, he was hosted in Japan and South Korea by fellow engineers. He was also the author/presenter of nearly 100 technical papers/topics, and was the founder of Crown Point Books, a publishing company.

A reserved and modest, humble man, one would have to get to know him to discover his high intellectual pursuits. He was a member and contributing author to the International Society of General Semantics, furthering the study and proper use of words to communicate complex ideas. He was an accomplished classical pianist and a devoted golfer who used only irons, which was good enough for a few holes-in-one.

Marty Burke is survived by his loving wife of over 72 years, Janet Corrine Atwood. His love affair began with a blind date to a Vincent Price horror movie. (What was Dad thinking?) It worked!

He is also survived by three daughters who knew he could fix anything, including broken hearts. Many a dead squirrel was dragged home by the tail to “Daddy Fix It.” He taught his girls to dance on his size 13 shoes, to become readers and lovers of books, to swim, to ride horseback, to camp and to make Irish Soda Bread. They are: Rebecca Ann Burke, Laguna Beach, FL; Suzanna Rose Spence, Columbus, OH; and Dr. Theresa Marie Burke, Columbus, OH. Marty Burke is also survived by grandchildren: Madelene DeHaven, Columbus, OH; Katherine Corrine Burke Pair, Nashville, TN and Julia Ann Burke Pair, St. Louis, MO, (Son-in-law, Chris F. Pair, Nashville, TN). He is also survived by three Great-Grandchildren: Isabella and Mia Gonzalez, Columbus, OH, (Grandson-In-Law, Kevin Gonzalez of Columbus) and Hudson DeHaven, Columbus, OH, (Grandson-In-Law, Nick DeHaven, Columbus, OH).

Burke was preceded in death by: his parents, Martin P. Burke, Sr. and Rose Julia Carroll of Pittsburgh, PA; by paternal grandparents Martin P. Burke I and Anna O’Grady Burke of County Galway, Ireland later becoming Naturalized Citizens of the U.S., Pittsburgh, PA; and maternal grandparents, Francis Edward Carroll of Bedlington, England and Emma Grimes Carroll. Siblings preceding him in death are: Rosemary Anderson (Ed), Erie, PA; Patricia Adams (Robert), Pittsburgh, PA; Anna Ferguson (Ed), Trafford, PA; and Francis Carroll Burke (Bernadette) of Pittsburgh, PA. Marty Burke’s beloved Airedale, “Butch,” waits for his arrival in Heaven.

Burke is also preceded in death by his Revolutionary War ancestors and patriots of the Maryland Militia, Euclidus Scarborough and his sons John, William, Thomas and Euclidus, Jr. In Marty Burke’s retirement, he also published four books on the family’s geneology.

For more detail on Burke’s books, research papers and geneology, use [email protected].

Please visit www.schoedinger.com to share memories and condolences. Cremation services provided by SCHOEDINGER NORTHWEST.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that remembrances be directed to: The CEC/Seabee Historical Foundation, www.seabee.org/support/donate. OR to the Upper Arlington Tremont Public Library, www.ualibrary.org/donate. Burke’s 1300+ volume library has been donated to the benefit of the Tremont Library.

"The Bridge Builder"

An old man, going a lone highway, Came at the evening, cold and gray, To a chasm, past and deep and wide, Through which was flowing a sullen tide. The old man crossed in the twilight dim-

That sullen stream had no fears for him; But he turned when he reached the other side, And built a bridge to span the tide.

"Old man," said a fellow pilgrim near, "You are wasting your strength in building here. Your journey will end with the ending day; You never again will pass this way. You have crossed the chasm, deep and wide, Why build you the bridge at the eventide?" The builder lifted his old gray head. "Good friend, in the path I have come," he said, "There followeth after me today A youth whose feet must pass this way. This chasm that has been naught to me To that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be. He, too, must cross the twilight dim; Good friend, I am building the bridge for him."

--W.A. Dromgoole