Henry Eugene Burke, Jr.

Obituary Henry (Hank) Eugene Burke, Jr. Henry (Hank) Eugene Burke, Jr., born May 8, 1929, Tacoma, passed away on July 4, 2009. He is survived by his four children, Tim, of Point of Rocks, Maryland, Mike (Roderick) of Oxnard, California, Cathy of Amherst, NH, and Margaret of Tokyo, Japan, his six grandchildren and his brother Bill as well as many nieces and nephews. Hank was a career electrical engineer who worked on the electrical systems of the lunar excursion module used in the Apollo moon landing and the Grumman EA6B Radar Jamming aircraft. A native of Tacoma, Hank worked as a telegrapher for the Northern Pacific Railway as a means of putting himself through Bellarmine High School. In 1946 he joined the U.S. Marine Corps to save for college and saw extensive combat in the Korean War. Following his discharge from the Marine Corps he attended Notre Dame University and graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering. After raising his family on Long Island, NY, he returned to Tacoma in retirement. The Burke family wishes to express its gratitude to Jim Fredrickson of Tacoma, boyhood friend and caring helper since Hank's return to Tacoma. The family also wishes to thank the devoted staff of Wynwood/Brookdale Assisted Living facility who took such excellent care of Hank following a major stroke in 2003 until his hospitalization three weeks ago and subsequent transfer to hospice care. Wake to be held on Wednesday evening July 8, 2009 at Gaffney Funeral Home on 1002 S. Yakima Ave., Tacoma. Mass of Christian Burial at St. Charles Borromeo on Thursday, July 9, 2009 at 9:00 AM. Interment at Tahoma National Cemetery. Semper Fi!