Gerard "Jerry" Nicholas Burke

Born January 10, 1932, in the Manhattan Borough of New York City, he was the son of the late Nicholas Joseph Burke and Margaret Veronica Keenan Burke.

After graduating high school in 1949, Jerry joined the US Marine Corps and served for three years.

In 1957, Jerry married Marguerite Mary Flynn who passed away in 1969.

He worked for the New York Telephone Company for over 25 years.

Jerry married Lillian Mary Soden in 1970 and relocated his family to Hickory in 1991.

He was a parishioner of St. Aloysius Catholic Church in Hickory.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by an infant sister, Patricia Burke, and a brother, James Thomas Burke.

He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Lillian Mary Soden Burke, of Hickory; daughter, Margaret Mary “Meg” Barrett and husband Joseph “Joe” of Hickory; sons, Gerard Nicholas “Jerry” Burke of Asheboro, Matthew Kieran Burke and fiancée Melissa “Missy” Grizzard of Charlottesville VA, Sean Michael Burke of Hickory; grandchildren, Ryan Barrett and fiancée Jessica Crespi, Colin Barrett and wife Devin, Neil Barrett, Kevin Barrett, Nicholas Barrett.

A funeral mass will be held at 10am, Friday June 1, at St. Dorothy’s Roman Catholic Church in Lincolnton with Father David Miller officiating. The family will receive friends at Willis-Reynolds Funeral Home in Newton on Thursday May 31, from 6 to 7:30pm. Burial will take place after the funeral ceremony at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church cemetery in Salisbury.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions be made to Catawba Regional Hospice, 3975 Robinson Rd, Newton, NC 28658.