James Robert Burke

James Robert Burke (Jim), barely 67, entered this world on July 15, 1959, in Pontiac, Michigan, after four previous attempts for his dad to get a boy. His parents, Robert “Bucky” and Sally Burke, were overjoyed to bring a bundle of boy home to a house full of girls which soon included fifth sister! His life, always overflowing with plans, activities, friends and family, was cut short on Saturday, August 15, 2026, when he suffered a cardiac event doing what he loved, biking. He is now at home with his Lord Jesus to stir things up in Heaven.

Jim grew up playing every sport imaginable, travel hockey, baseball, track, cross country and golf. After a quintessential childhood spent mostly in Deerfield, Illinois, Jim headed to the University of Iowa in Iowa City. There he cultivated lifelong friends, learned the ins and outs of fraternity life, became a devoted Hawkeye fan no matter the sport or record, enjoyed a few “cold ones” as he liked to say and worked as a sorority bus boy. When he had time, he took classes and even graduated in four years with a business/finance degree with an economics major. After working a few years, Jim started graduate school on scholarship at the Small Business Development Center at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.

He soon met the love of his life, Sara Bachtell, through mutual friends. After their first date, things progressed rapidly and they were married six months later in 1985. His career progressed rapidly too…he never did anything slow. He worked for Allied Group, later to be known as Nationwide Insurance, his entire career retiring in 2021. A job promotion landed him in Denver, Colorado, where all three of his beloved children, Katelyn Kaplan (Jon), Sally Babick (Sam) and John Ross Robert (Maria) were born. Another transfer took them back to Des Moines where they lived until the merger when Dublin, Ohio, became their home for the rest of his life.

Jim loved his life and it was filled with friends, faith, fatherhood, any kind of sporting event…usually accompanied by one of the kids or friends. He took his daughters to Cheetah Girls, Jonas Brothers, Taylor Swift, and Rascal Flatts concerts … never missed an activity or sport the girls or John Ross played, took them on individual out of town adventures and games they will never forget. Jim re-lived his college days at every dad’s weekend at their colleges and cheered for the participation ribbon winners on the swim team. He served the community at the Ronald McDonald House, Mid Ohio Food Bank, an Orphanage in Louisville, many charity runs and marathons (including the Boston Marathon and Hood to Coast ultra marathon), and just two weeks ago completed the Pelotonia bike ride for cancer.

He also served his church New Hope in Powell with humor, love and generosity. The last five years, Jim has studied with the men’s Bible Study Fellowship (BSF)…his fall study book (Romans) sits on his desk.

Jim used his retirement years golfing at Wedgewood Golf & CC with so many dear buddies, reading a copious number of books, spoiling his grandsons Bucky Charles Babick (with a sibling due in December) and Scotty James Kaplan, taking bike adventures and traveling both in the U.S. and overseas with Sara.

He is survived at by his wife, Sara Anne, his children who miss him dearly, his son-in-loves Jon and Sam and daughter-in-love Maria. He is also survived by his sisters Nancy (Steve) Benton, Barbara Roman, Cathy (Chris, deceased) Geiger, Maureen “Beany” (Jon) Dankle and numerous nieces and nephews. His sister Judy (Ken) Pantle, preceded him in death as well as his father Robert Francis, and mother Sally Ann.

Life by the Spirit…

“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge in sin; rather, serve one another humbly in love.” Galatians 5:13 (found in one of his journals)

Visitation will be held at Schoedinger Dublin, 5980 Perimeter Drive, Dublin, OH 43017, on Friday, August 21, 2026, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. and funeral service will be 10:00 a.m. Saturday, August 22, 2026 at New Hope Church, 4739 Powell Road, Powell, OH 43065.A live stream for the service can be found at https://m.youtube.com/@NewHopePowell?ra=m

In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to the New Hope Foundation https://newhopeworship.org/endowment or the Mid-Ohio Food Collective https://mofc.org