Kevin P. "Pat" Burke

Rochester: Passed away on November 17, 2022. Kevin is predeceased by his parents, Amanda & Michael Burke; brothers, Michael, Alfred & Joseph "Tiny"; sister, Mary. He is survived by his children, Kevin Burke, Collen (Lorenzo) Jones & Eileen (Chris) Fichter; grandchildren, Sean Burke, Danielle Mastro, James (Anastacia) Jones, John Fichter, Katelynn Jones, Samantha Fichter & Brandy Jones; great-grandchildren, Serena, Sean, Matthew, Ronan & Gianna "Itty Bitty"; siblings, Charlie Burke, Yvonne Coffey & Roberta Burke; dear friend, Yvonne Thompson; many nieces & nephews.

Kevin's life story will be shared 4:00-7:00 pm on Monday, November 21st at the funeral home, 1411 Vintage Lane. His funeral service will be celebrated 11:00 am on Tuesday at the funeral home. The Burke family requests that guests wear something green in honor of Pat's favorite color. Interment in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery. Memorial donations can be made in Kevin's name to Greece Residents Assisting Stray Pets, PO Box 26741, Rochester NY 14626.
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Remembering Kevin P. "Pat" Burke

Pat Burke was a man of great kindness, humor, and generosity of spirit. A World War II Navy Veteran, he served his country from 1943-1946 on a Pacific Tour aboard the attack cargo ship, USS Trousdale (AKA-79). Pat was proud of his Irish heritage, too, and kept well connected with his cultural roots. He sponsored several of his Irish cousins through Ellis Island and helped them complete their journey toward US citizenship.

Pat welcomed anyone (human or animal) into his family. He always showed up to help his children, friends, and siblings with home projects - from paining, to planting, to dry wall and beyond, Pat was happy to assist. He asked for nothing in return but would gladly accept a nice cup of tea and never turned down the offer of a meal. He was a wonderful big brother to his siblings and was the go-to guy for advice on the problems of daily life. His best friends were Ray and Mary Carroll. When Ray passed, Pat stepped in as a father figure for the Carroll children, whom he loved dearly and became like siblings to his own children.

His love for animals was plentiful. Cats and dogs took to Pat immediately, and he made sure that the feral neighborhood cats had warm milk every day. He adored his two German Shepherd dogs, too. They were "his boys" and he took great joy in their antics. After getting a hearty drink of water, his dogs were in the habit of using Pat as a napkin, and every day, he would exclaim, "they got me all wet!" and laugh. He always looked forward to visiting Yvonne for tea and a visit to Dusty, the cat.

Pat had a love and talent for gardening. He spent sunup to sundown in his garden - chopping wood for the stove, growing lovely flowers, tending vegetables, and nurturing a large crop of garlic. Each year, he planted at least 300 garlic plants and relished in sharing this harvest with everyone he knew. Aside from gardening, Pat was a tea connoisseur (never tasted coffee, never smoked, never drank), and he loved going out for rides on his motorcycle.

Pat's family will fondly remember his funny witticisms. "Pat the Rat" was his favorite nickname, bestowed on him by the many nieces and nephews that had to hide their holiday candy from him year after year. Every child he met was "Louie" regardless of age, gender, or actual given name. Pat's family could set their clock each morning to his daily questions, "What's Chris doing? Did you talk to Yvonne today? Is she coming over? Etc. etc. etc. He liked to keep up on the happenings of the day and up to date with the events of his loved ones' lives. As for Pat's request for his final resting place, all he said was to, "Bury me standing up, facing Ireland!!"