This is a page where classmates may leave notes and/or pictures concerning their deceased friends at York High School.  To leave such a tribute --- send your notes and photos or whatever --- as an e-mail addressed to me, Bruce Downey, at hdowney@vt.edu, and they will be included below in the order they are received...

 

NAVIGATIONAL HINT:  When finished here...to return safely to the complete listing of deceased classmates, scroll back to the top of this screen and then point to and click on the word HOME which is found in the moving SIDEBAR traveling up and down this screen..

Note Number 2: Remembering Dick... for 'He was a friend of mine'

 

Dick Burke, York '52 was not just a friend of mine--- he was a very good friend of mine.  And I last talked with Dick in front of the 50th York Reunion for our Class of '52.

 

I knew he was founder of Trek Bikes and so I called the company in Wisconsin.  I went straight to the top...but could not talk to the man.  I left my name and my number, and I left the key word with the person that took my call--- and that key word of course was 'York.'  A week or so later, I got this phone call.  It was Dick Burke.  We had a very nice chat, reminiscing of the old days--- days with Jim Dailey, John Koucky, Lloyd Serfling, Wayne Mahood, Gordon Maxson, Norm Ellison, and myself.  We were 'pals' back then--- all of us.  Did I leave anyone out?

 

Aside from our nickel and dime poker games and all the apple cider we could drink, we would typically pile into a car and drive on over to a park in Maywood, IL to take on their best in a pick-up basketball game.  Why Maywood?  Because they were the only ones to have a lighted court!  And in driving home, we'd return by way of this old, rickety two-lane bridge spanning the seemingly never ending Proviso RR Yards to a roadside fruit stand clear on the other side where we'd tank up on still more apple cider. Ah!  those were the days of our youth!

 

As it would turn out, Dick did not come to the 50th York Reunion ... but Lloyd did.  So too did Wayne, and of course Norm Ellison was deceased, and Gordon Maxson was in the class ahead of us.  And then too, John Koucky, Wayne, and Lloyd represented our group at the York 55th.

 

I shall not forget Dick Burke, for I shall remember him for who he once was--- and not for what he would later become--- the founder of Trek Bikes.

 

....Bruce, saying goodbye to Dick for the last time******

 

_____________________________________________

There are two websites on the Internet recounting Dick's contributions to the bicycle world that are worthy of your attention.  They are:---

 

http://www.inc.com/magazine/20060701/qa-burke.html

 

and

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/13/business/13burke.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

 

 

And then there's this ---- Original Message ----- from Duane McCartney, York '52, in remembrance of our classmate, Richard (Dick) Burke, York '52:----

From: "Duane McCartney" <mccartnd@alltel.net>

To: "H. Bruce Downey" <crow@vt.edu>

Sent: Thursday, April 24, 2008 11:20 AM

Subject: A note about Richard (Dick) Burke, York '52...

> Bruce, I just got my system back up.  Had two coincidental
> problems....viruses and a bad pin on my ISP's site.
>
> My mailbox is loaded. I have also been out of town and going again...
>
> One interesting turn of events.  My son-in-law is the director of the
> nature center in Milwaukee.  He had mentioned in the past that one
> generous donor just walked in one day and said that he wanted to look
> around at the center and its current status...one or two trailers, but a
> great plan and executer of those plans.  In due time that person donated
> about 2 million plus for the new building.
>
> Last weekend, my oldest daughter (son-in-law's wife) visited me and we
> were chatting about high-school friends, being that she was in town for
> her 26th reunion (not 25th, but 26th year) and I mentioned Dick Burke to
> her since he lived in the same area as she.  She said "how did you know
> him?".  Of course the response was that we hung around a bit, mostly
> poker games (at Lloyd's maybe...the house had a balcony over the front
> room if I remember).
>
> Anyhow we were both dumbstruck that I had been visiting them for so long
> and Dick's name apparently never came up, though probably the word
> bicycle did, as we watched the building being built...a fine
> building...my son-in-law and Dick designed the features of it together I
> believe and they became close friends. She picked up her cell phone and
> called her husband on the spot.  He was equally surprised and then
> remorseful that we did not get the three of us together.
>
> My son-in-law's name is Ken Leinbach.  The website of the center is
> urbanecologycenter.org.  A small world, hey?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And here is an excerpt from Duane McCartney's (York '52) son-in-law's website

@ http://www.urbanecologycenter.org/ :----

 

Saying Goodbye to a Good Friend

The Urban Ecology Center is sad to announce the passing of a dear friend, donor and Board of Directors member Richard (Dick) Burke.

When the Center was still working out of a double wide trailer in Riverside Park, Dick was able to envision with us a community center that taught science and nature to disadvantaged urban youth. He energized our building campaign with a substantial lead gift through his Trinity Foundation Fund of The Greater Milwaukee Foundation. He requested no recognition nor naming rights, just that we stay true to our vision. Throughout the years we knew we could count on Dick for his generous support, level head and quiet persistence.

Dick's family have generously requested that people so inclined make a donation to the Urban Ecology Center in lieu of flowers. Click here if you would like to make a donation in honor of this amazing, caring man.