Dr. James Leo Burke

Dr. James Leo “Jim” Burke Dr. James Leo “Jim” Burke, age 68, of Greensboro, Georgia, died on Sunday, June 17, 2007 at his home. Dr. Burke was born on November 15, 1938, in Lewiston, Maine to the late Francis John Burke and Margaret Irene Young. After graduating from Lewiston High School in 1956, he entered the University of Maine where he received his bachelors degree in Chemical Engineering in 1960. The next six years were spent at the Institute of Paper Chemistry in Appleton, Wisconsin where he received his Doctorate in 1966. He married his wife of forty-two years, JoAnn Mary Joosten in 1965. His career began at Mead Paper Company in Chillicothe, Ohio as a Chemical Engineer. He lived in Ohio until 1969 and then transferred to Escanaba, Michigan. From Escanaba he went to Waterloo Brussells Belgium and then back to Chillicothe, Ohio. After leaving Mead he moved to Claremont, California to work with Garden State Paper Company. In the summer of 1986 he transferred to Upper Saddle River, New Jersey with Garden State. He then went to Dublin, Georgia in 1991 as Vice President of Southeast Paper Manufacturing which later became South Pacific Paper Manufacturing. On January 1, 2004 he retired as President and CEO of South Pacific Manufacturing. He and his wife, JoAnn, came to Greensboro, Georgia in March of 2005. He was a member of Christ Our King and Savior Catholic Church. He was preceded in death by his wife, JoAnn Mary Joosten Burke, in January of this year. He is survived by a daughter, Kelly Ann Burke of Minneapolis, MN; a son, Robert Keith Burke of Virginia Beach, VA; a sister, Elaine Sylvia of Kesar Falls, ME and a host of other relatives and friends. A Funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, June 23, 2007 at 10:00 a.m. at Christ Our King & Savior Catholic Church in Greensboro, GA with Father G. Philip Ryan officiating. The family will receive friends after the service at the Ritz-Carlton Lodge. Serving as pallbearers are Thomas Hahn, Joe Gorman, David Vandenberg, Ronald Sylvia, Dominic Ingrando and Pete LaBella. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Leukemia Cancer Research at Winship Cancer Institute, Development Office, 1762 Clifton Road, Plaza 1000, Atlanta, GA 30322. McCommons Funeral Home, 109 W. Broad St., Greensboro, GA, (706) 453-2626, is in charge of arrangements. Visit us at www.mccommonsfuneralhome.com to sign the online guest register.

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