Clifford Allen Burke

Clifford Allen Burke departed this life on January 30, 2016, in Houston, Texas. Cliff leaves his wife of 66 years, Helen Kathryn (Kay); children Marilyn, Suzette and Jeffrey; grandson Christian and wife Roxana, grandson Alan and wife Lizzy, granddaughters Karen and Kayla; great-grandchildren Julia, Anthony, Stephanie and Kennia; and sisters Frances Watson and Dorothy Spann.

Born in Morrilton, Arkansas, on August 18, 1930, Cliff moved to Corpus Christi at age 14. In 1948, he graduated from Corpus Christi High School, where he had met Kay Davis. He worked for an oil exploration company in Alaska before returning to Corpus Christi to work as a homebuilder with his father. He and Kay became reacquainted and started dating. Cliff’s marriage proposal to Kay was indirect: he showed up at her job with a house plan and said, “This is our house.” Kay made him ask her outright, he did, she accepted, and they married on September 12, 1950.

Cliff hired on with Kraft Foods as a salesman and merchandiser in 1955, shortly after the birth of his third daughter and the death of his first child, Candace. He accepted a transfer to Laredo, Texas, followed by a promotion to Director of Sales and Marketing in Caracas, Venezuela, in 1963. Another Kraft transfer took the family to Mexico City, Mexico, in 1969. Cliff returned to the United States in 1973, where he ultimately established a hardware distributorship serving clients in Mexico and Puerto Rico.

Up until his mid-seventies, Cliff was an avid golfer and gardener. As a volunteer, he was a dedicated member of the Lions Club for 44 years. Cliff proudly served as District Governor for District 2S2 in Houston from 1999 to 2000.

The family wishes to thank Cliff’s caregiver, Veronica Orozco, and housekeeper Santa Villegas for attending to Cliff’s needs during his illness. The family also thanks loving friend Christine Englund for seeing to the pets and running countless errands. Finally, the family expresses their deep appreciation and gratitude to friends Vic and Linda Collins for their friendship, support and devotion to Cliff and Kay. Vic and Linda’s selfless dedication instilled stability, order, and well-being during this trying time; better, more loving friends could not be imagined.

Visitation with the family was held from Noon until 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, February 3, 2016 at Fair Haven United Methodist Church, 1330 Gessner Road, Houston, where the memorial service began at 2:00 p.m. Interment followed at Seaside Memorial Park in Corpus Christi.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Texas Lions Camp, P.O. Box 290247, Kerrville, Texas 78029.