Terence Norbert "Terry" Burke

Terry was preceded in death by his loving parents, Theodore Norbert Burke, Jr., and Jerldene Carney Burke.

Terry is survived by his wife, Melissa Creech Burke; his brother, Tim Burke, of New York, NY; his sister, Kathy Good, and her husband, Tim, of Virginia Beach, VA; his nieces and nephews: Emylee Creech Smith and her husband, Nick, and Caroline Good, Grant Good, Brandon Good, Andrew Good, Danielle Montgomery, and Madelyn Montgomery; his father-in-law, Lin Creech, and his wife, Dee Dee, of Holden Beach, NC; his mother-in-law, Sharon Strickland, and her husband, Phil Baucom, of Clayton, NC; his brothers-in-law, Benny Creech of Clayton, NC, and Daniel Creech and his wife, Karla, of Raleigh, NC; and his fur babies—dog Daisy and cats Sunny and Hobbes.

Terry was born on December 22, 1964, in Wilmington, DE. His early years were enriched by spending time with his grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins who lived nearby. When he was a young boy, Terry and his family moved to Baltimore, where Terry became a diehard Baltimore Orioles and Baltimore (now Indianapolis) Colts fan. His family then moved to Virginia Beach, VA, which became his "home." There, he enjoyed going to the beach with his family, Boy Scouts, fishing with his dad, and being part of a close-knit neighborhood where he made great friends.

Terry graduated from Norfolk Catholic High School (now Catholic High School) and Elon College (now Elon University) with a B.A. in History. At Elon, he became a proud member of Tau Kappa Epsilon and made many lifelong friends. It was also at Elon that he met and fell in love with his future wife, Melissa Lin Creech, then followed her to Boone, NC, where she attended graduate school at Appalachian State, and where he worked and fell in love with Boone. Terry and Melissa were married in Calabash, NC, on September 11, 1999, and recently celebrated their 25th anniversary.

Driven by a great passion for history and a desire to share it with others, Terry took classes at Barton College in Wilson, NC, to obtain his teaching license and became a middle school history teacher. He taught predominantly at Riverwood Middle School in Clayton, NC. He was so proud of his students and genuinely excited to go to work every day. Teaching was his calling in life—he absolutely loved it.

Terry also loved studying and reading about history, especially World War II. He loved music and going to concerts. His favorite bands were The Beach Boys, The Rolling Stones, and The Grateful Dead in all their incarnations. He loved watching scary movies, visiting the beach—especially family summer vacations in Duck, NC, and Holden Beach, NC—and taking his nieces, nephews, and younger cousins to the candy store and telling them ghost stories.

He loved visiting Boone and was always thrilled by snow—the more the better. He enjoyed playing trivia, telling slightly embellished stories, and giving lectures. He was funny, super smart, incredibly tender-hearted, and kind to everyone he met.

More than anything, Terry loved his family, friends, and pets with all his heart, and he was deeply loved in return. His family will miss his spirit and sense of humor. Terry was truly one of a kind.

A visitation for Terry will be held Saturday, May 31, 2025, from 11:00am to 12:00pm. Following the visitation will be a memorial service at 12:00pm in the chapel McLaurin Funeral Home, Clayton, NC. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Terry's name may be made to your local SPCA or an animal rescue of your choice.