Nicholas Andrew Bernard Burke was born at Stamford on Saturday, February 6, 1993. He was the son of Marcus Bruce Burke and Lenka Pichlíková-Burke and the brother of Marcus Karel Francis Burke. He grew up in Stamford, first in a house on Glenbrook Road his family shared with John Phillips Archibald, who would become his godfather and a surrogate grandfather. From a young age, Nick played hockey, and soccer (goalie) on local and travel teams until he was a teenager. Later, the family moved to the Springdale neighborhood, where Nick followed his brother to Toquam Magnet Elementary School and Dolan Middle School. He played football on the Dolan team and began to learn lacrosse from his brother. He also studied piano, guitar, and theatre, and performed with his mother and brother in performances for young audiences at Stamford Theatre Works and other locations. Nick was confirmed at Saint John’s Lutheran Church, volunteered at the Stamford Food Bank, and was a summer counselor at the Seton Boy Scout Camp in Greenwich. He graduated in 2011 from Stamford High School, where he was a standout defenseman on the lacrosse team. Among his close friends were his fellow soccer players, Blazej Pulawski, Marcus DiNucci, Kevin Lochard, and Brandon Gorman, as well as Shawn Cagle, Malcolm Chalmers, Conner Davis, Maxx Vivioli, and Dan Massa.
As a child and teenager, Nick often traveled with his family to his mother’s native Czech Republic, and to Venice, Italy, Slovenia, Germany, Spain, Los Angeles, Kentucky, Florida, the Bahamas, and many other places. In particular, he visited his family in Prague: his grandmother, Anna Hodková, his aunt and godmother, Zuzana Hodková, and his cousins, Tereza and Marta Töpferová, who also lived in the United States. In Florida, he visited his aunt Avery Roberts Dye, his cousins Julianne and Morgan Roberts and their children, and Nathan Miller. His Kentucky family were his aunt, Julie Page Burke, his cousins Heather and Robert Howard and Byron, Charles, Katherine, and Wesley Nugent.
Initially recruited by the lacrosse coach, Nick attended Emmanuel College in Boston, graduating in 2015 with a major in History and a minor in business. (He said that although he intended to pursue a business career, he wanted a liberal arts education.) At Emmanuel, Nick met a group of friends, Alex Hoslet, Mike Vermes, Jerry Nappa, Nick LeDan, Dave Chernobylsky, Josh Condry, CJ Galdorisi, Kenny Ayo, Cam Mikucki, Skyler Karns, Jimmy Dunne, and Chris Parra, who would continue to be his companions, and often, his roommates, after graduation.
The experience of renting apartments to live off-campus for three of his four years at Emmanuel suggested a career in real estate. After a string of bad experiences with landlords, he told his father that he could do better, taking care of his clients. The summer between his junior and senior years, Nick attended a real estate program at UMass Boston, passing both his general New England and Massachusetts real estate license examinations.
He began working at Boardwalk Properties on Harvard Ave. in Allston his senior year in college, fall 2014, and continued to work there until his death. Guided by Demetrios Salpoglou and senior managers, particularly his mentor, Mike Swan, Nick became a trusted and enthusiastic employee. A recent review posted online on Yelp.com says, “We walked in and were greeted by this bubbly, happy, enthusiastic and professional young man by the name of Nick Burke.” Another adds, “Nick puts all the effort he can in. He treats all of his clients like family and works very hard to ensure that you get the best property possible. ... I have been constantly treated in an incredibly professional manner.”
At the time of his death, Nick was Leasing Manager for Boardwalk and the person responsible for training sessions. In addition to moving scores of tenant groups into apartments each year, Nick was also selling real estate and managing properties. He worked with Cody Quach, Ian Cotteral, Nadgie Anilus, Steve Shaw, Dan Colombo, David Shin, and Sebastian Meyers. In addition to his Emmanuel friends, among his roommates and close friends were Ian Manning, and Nick’s girlfriend, Mindy Tran. Nick also supported many friends and their families, in emotional, organizational, and social terms, as well as with repeated financial support. He made the world better for many people, and he will be missed.
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