Patricia Hughs Burke

Patricia Hughs Burke passed away peacefully on Tuesday, the 25th of June, 2024. She will be remembered for her love of, and dedication to family and friends. Patti is at peace in God’s loving arms and joyfully reunited with the love of her life, Thomas Walker Burke, Jr., for all of eternity.

Patti was born in Atlanta, Georgia on the 17th of December 1936, to Carleton Nathaniel Hughs and Mary Josephine Daniel Hughs. The family moved from Atlanta, Georgia to Dallas, Texas when she was 17 years old, and she graduated from Highland Park High School in Dallas in 1954. Patti attended the University of Texas at Austin where she was a member of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority. She met Tom Burke during her freshman year and they were married at the Episcopal Church of the Incarnation in Dallas, Texas on the 23rd of June 1956. Patti and Tom were married for 61 years until Tom’s death on the 31st of August 2017. After Tom’s graduation from the University of Texas, they moved to Houston, where Patti raised their two sons and enjoyed family and friends for almost 65 years.

Patti grew up as a tomboy and enjoyed playing baseball and other sports with the neighborhood boys. As an adult, she enjoyed playing tennis, and was also a gifted artist. She was active socially as a member of the Houston Country Club, and civically as a member of the River Oaks Garden Club and the Junior League of Houston. She also served on the board of directors of Rienzi, The Museum of Fine Arts Houston house museum for European decorative arts. Patti was a welcome presence in the lives of her sons and their friends. She spent years carpooling to, and attending football, baseball and basketball games, and hosting groups of boys that would often arrive at her house unannounced and hungry. She kept the warming drawers in the kitchen full of barbeque sandwiches that would happily be consumed at all hours of the night.

Patti enjoyed summers at her family home in the mountains of Highlands, North Carolina throughout her life. She spent entire summers there as a young girl with her parents and grandmother, and later in life created special memories in Highlands with her sons, daughters-in-law and grandchildren.

Patti leaves behind many friends and a loving family that will miss her dearly. She was predeceased by her parents, Carleton Nathaniel and Mary Josephine Daniel Hughs, her husband, Thomas Walker Burke, Jr., her sister, Jodie Hughs Propst, her granddaughter, Maggie Burke Daugherty and her grandson, Walter William Burke. She is survived by son William Walker Burke and his wife, Ann; son Walter Thomas Burke and his wife, Dana; grandchildren Amanda Burke Bailey and her husband, Geoff; Abigail Burke Henderson and her husband, Logan; Caroline Burke Mossy and her husband, Travis; Thomas Walker Burke III and his wife Margaret; and great-grandchildren William Walker Bailey, Ellie Williams Henderson, Hayes Whilden Henderson, John Hunt Mossy, Harrison Burke Bailey, Burke Hughs Henderson and Elle Baker Mossy. She is also survived by her sister-in-law, Maria Burke Butler, and several Butler and Propst family nieces and nephews.

The family wishes to express their appreciation to Brenda Whittaker for 40 years of loving, caring service, and we are especially grateful for all that she has done to care for Patti, Tom and our entire family over many years.

A reception to honor Patti’s life will be held from five o’clock in the afternoon until seven o’clock in the evening on Thursday, the 27th of June 2024, at Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive, Houston, Texas 77057.

In lieu of customary remembrances, the family requests that memorial contributions be directed toward the Highlands Biological Foundation, 265 N. 6th Street, Highlands, North Carolina 28741, or to the charity of one’s choice.

Please view Mrs. Burke’s online memorial tribute page at GeoHLewis.com, where memories and words of comfort and condolence may be shared electronically with her family.