Ronald John Burke

Ronald John Burke, PhD, died peacefully on March 19, 2019, in Toronto, at the age of 81. Ron was born on October 22, 1937, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He graduated from the University of Manitoba and obtained an MA and PhD from the University of Michigan (Go Blue!). Ron made Toronto his home for the last 50 years; it was a city he loved for its culture, restaurants, theatre, and ambiance. On weekends he could be seen poking around book stores and dining in restaurants in his Yonge & Eglinton neighbourhood.

Teaching was his passion and vocation and brought Ron to Toronto as a professor at the Schulich School of Business (then the newly established Faculty of Administrative Studies) at York University. Over 40 years of teaching, Ron touched the lives of countless students in his organizational behaviour courses as well as numerous doctoral candidates whom he mentored. An outstanding teacher, Ron was frequently nominated for MBA teaching awards, and students remarked on his engaging and impactful lectures and courses.

Outside the classroom, Ron was one of Canada’s most prolific researchers. Focusing on the relationship between the work environment and the individual’s overall wellbeing, Ron was at the forefront of fundamental research fields such as workplace stress and women in management. He wrote articles for numerous academic and professional journals and was the founding editor of the Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences. Ron was on the editorial board of a dozen journalists nals and reviewed manuscripts for a dozen more journals. He participated in countless research conferences globally and was a Fellow of the Canadian Psychological Association. Ron edited or co-edited over 50 books and at the time of his passing had three more in the works.

Ron is survived by his three children, Sharon, Rachel, and Jeff. Above all else, they and their friends and partners were his greatest source of pride. Sharon, Rachel, and Jeff dearly miss their dad.

In keeping with Ron’s wishes, there will be no public service or funeral arrangements.