Robert John Burke, an ironworker and longtime summer resident of Sag Harbor, died on March 24 at San Simeon by the Sound Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation in Greenport. Mr. Burke, who was called Bob, had been ill for three years. He was 78.
“An Irish poet would describe Bob as a ‘modest man who knew his worth,’ ” said his brother, the Hon. Edward D. Burke of Sag Harbor. Mr. Burke was “a loving son, husband, father, family man, honest and known for his integrity, he despised hypocrisy [and] dishonesty, and had a forceful way of expressing his feelings.”
He was born on Nov. 29, 1943, in Hempstead to Edward J. Burke and the former Anna O’Halloran. He grew up there, spending summers in Sag Harbor.
He graduated from Uniondale High School in 1962, and then began a long career in construction, first as a structural ironworker with Ironworkers Local 40 in New York City, and then with his family’s contracting company, East Coast Industries. He built and modified many projects on the South Fork, notably the Salty Dog Restaurant on Noyac Bay, the Cooper Bay, Beach Buoy, Burkeshire Associates/Burkeshire Plaza, and several family residences.
For 33 years, he was employed by the Suffolk County Department of Public Works, tending to the drawbridge at Westhampton Beach.
Mr. Burke and his wife, the former Barbara Raphael, settled in Rocky Point. She survives.
Along with his wife and brother, Mr. Burke is survived by his daughters Colleen Burke and Christine Whaley, both of Rocky Point. A grandson, Robert Whaley, and great-granddaughter, Lillian Whaley, also survive, as do his sisters Kathleen Burton and Theresa Doyle, both of Sag Harbor, and Sharon Corridan of Mattituck. An aunt, Frances Weismantel, also survives, as do many nephews, nieces, cousins, and in-laws. All are heartened by his legacy of warmth and kindness, his smiles, and his ability to tell a story, his brother said, all of which made the day a little brighter and the world a bit gentler.
A funeral Mass will be offered on April 23 at St. Andrew Catholic Church in Sag Harbor, followed by burial at the church cemetery.
Mr. Burke’s family has suggested memorial contributions to St. Andrew Cemetery, 122 Division Street, Sag Harbor 11963.
