James Richard Burke

Jim was born in Pittsburg, PA, where he lived with his adoptive parents until he was 12. That summer, the family moved to San Diego, where he developed a love for playing volleyball, surfing and skiing. His love of music had started at a young age, first with piano lessons in Pittsburg, but in San Diego he switched to organ lessons, he sang in the choir and played in the marching band. After college he and a few friends headed east for adventure, eventually landing in Stowe in1984. Winters he worked a variety of hospitality jobs and skied. Summers he played local league volleyball and worked as a self-employed contractor. One of his jobs was painting and drywall for the Village Green in Stowe when the buildings were being built, including building 14, where he lived until his recent passing.

Jim met the love of his life, Anne, in Stowe and they were married in 1994. He became very involved in Blessed Sacrament Church where he sang in the choir and made life-long friends. In the early 2000’s, Jim and Anne moved to San Diego to take care of Jim’s ailing parents. During the next decade, both parents passed away. Unfortunately, three months after his mother’s passing, Anne suffered a second ruptured brain aneurysm on her birthday and passed away three days later. Jim was devastated. He remained in the area three more years, singing in choirs at three different Catholic churches, but decided to move “home” to Stowe, where he and Anne had started their life together. 

While looking for property from California, a unit at the Village Green became available and Jim quickly purchased it, sight unseen. He fondly remembered working on the construction of the buildings and often relayed to his friends stories of working on the very unit he was living in. He became involved in music at Holy Name Church in Morrisville where he sang and played organ. He went back into hospitality work, first at Town & Country, and finally a part-time retirement job at Top Notch, which he loved. He fell ill in late 2023 and survived a severe respiratory illness, which left him very limited the last two years of his life. He passed away on October 17th in the ICU at UVM. Jim will be remembered for his big smile, his big voice with a great love of music and singing, and his friendly and outgoing personality!

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated this Saturday, December 13th at 11:00AM at Holy Name church in Morrisville, VT. 

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