John Burkey

John Burkey, age 87, passed away on April 25, 2026, surrounded by his loved ones in Alexandria, Ohio. Born March 15, 1939, in Columbus, Ohio, John was the son of the late Lawrence and Vergie (Snouffer) Burkey. John honorably served his country in the U.S. Army from 1961 to 1964.

John married his wife, Karen (Debolt) Burkey, and together they built a family anchored by devotion and love. He was the father of Elaine Michelle Horst and Adam Lawrence Burkey, both of Alexandria, Ohio, and the grandfather of John Horst, Levi Horst, Lauren Burkey, Seth Burkey, and Nathan Burkey. He loved drag racing, singing in church, and singing with his barbershop chorus.

He enjoyed helping people, fixing things, playing card games, and learning about his favorite subject, history. He also delighted in making homemade pizzas and his award winning chili—simple pleasures that became lasting memories for family and friends. John was a quiet man, yet when he spoke, people listened. He did not care about a legacy, but wanted all to know and follow his Lord Jesus. John loved his wife of 60 years, Karen, and their family, and he will be sorely missed by all who knew him.

Flowers are welcome, but if you'd like to make a memorial donation, John was a supporter of Heartbeats of Newark, and Christian missions. Memorial donations may be made in John’s name to Heartbeats for Life of Newark at https://secure.goemerchant.com/secure/custompayment/heartbeats/12509/default.aspx or to John's grandson, Nathan, who is leaving on May 17th for a mission trip to reach students in the Middle East with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. You can donate to his grandson's mission trip here: https://give.cru.org/1234846 Note: At that link, his name is "Trip Participant" because it in a sensitive location where names are not made public for safety reasons.

A celebration of life service will be held on Thursday May 14, 2026 at 7PM at the Lifechange Church, 2525 Mt. Vernon Road, Newark, Ohio 43055 with a social gathering one hour prior from 6PM to 7PM.