JAMES BURKE

James E. Burke, 88, of Amarillo, Texas, died Oct. 29, 2015.

Mr. Burke was born in St. Louis, Missouri on June 28, 1927, and was reared on a farm in Lewis County, Missouri, the son of Hurley J. and Mildred Lillard Burke. He graduated from Monticello High School in Monticello, Missouri in 1945 and served in the Navy on the USS Clamour AM 160 in World War II.

He attended Garden City Kansas Junior College and has an Associate degree in corrosion engineering. He went to work for Colorado Interstate Gas Co. in Lakin, Kansas in 1947, transferring to the Texas Panhandle in 1954 to Dumas, Texas retiring from CIG on Dec. 30, 1989. He worked for Colorado Interstate Gas Co. for 42 years retiring as a field technical supervisor.

He married Lynn Bevans at the First Baptist Church in Canton, Missouri in August 1949. She preceded him in death in April 1987. He married Martha Steinkruger on June 11, 1988. She preceded him in death in May 2009.

He has been a resident of Amarillo for the last 25 years moving there from Dumas, Texas.

He served on the Dumas Independent School Board for 10 years and was president of Dumas YMCA. He also was a member of First Baptist Church and he served on the Building Committee of the Baptist Church and is an ordained Deacon. He is a member of Dumas Lodge 1009, he received his 50 year pin in 2002 and a charter member of the Scottish Rite in Lubbock. He was president of the Panhandle Section of NACE, also a lifetime member of the National Association of Engineers.

Survivors include a daughter, Tara Leas and husband Tom of San Antonio; a stepdaughter, Lori Hall and husband Scott of Hereford; two stepsons, Stan Steinkruger and wife Debbie of Amarillo, and Scott Steinkruger and wife Denise of Bushland; a sister, Deloris V. Herrick of Canton, Missouri; his grandchildren, Alyson Dettmer, Ashleigh Leas, Jonathan Leas, Jennifer Peters, Melanie Stonecipher, Riley Hall, Kali Bernhard, Kimberly Pruiett, Christina Adamson and Douglas Steinkruger; his great-grandchildren, Brennan Peters, Will Peters, Emma Stonecipher, Abby Stonecipher, Avery Stonecipher, Adelle Dettmer, Addison Bernhard, McKinley Adamson and Charlotte Pruiett.

He also was preceded in death by his parents; and his brother, Donald L. Burke.

Services were held Oct. 31, 2015, in Boxwell Brothers Ivy Chapel with Pastor Dale Bigham of Arden Road Baptist Church officiating. Burial will be in Northlawn Memorial Gardens in Dumas. Arrangements are by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Directors, 2800 Paramount Blvd.

The family suggests memorials be to Faith City Missions, PO Box 870, Amarillo, TX 79101.

Sign the online guestbook at www.boxwellbrothers.com.