Obituary of Helen Burke

It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of our beloved mother Helen Burke, who left us on September 2 to go home to our dear savior/father at the age of 83. 

A lifelong resident of Delaware County (Aston & Boothwyn). Helen was born in Amsterdam, New York (Yankees fan) on January 4, 1941, to the late Millard & Marguarite Hodge (and 2nd dad/stepfather Earnie Lohmeyer). 

Helen enlisted into the U.S. Army Woman’s Corps starting in 1959 as a cook/baker to a supervisor/culinary specialist. Helen was also predeceased by her former husband Lewis G. Burke Jr. (1998) and her brother Harry Hodge (2008). She is survived by her little sister Hazel & little brother Donny whom she loved dearly. Helen is also survived by her four children Lewis Burke III, Lawrence Burke, Angela Burke, & Lance Burke (Maria). Grandchildren Paul, Lisa Marie, Marianna, Edward, Luciana, great grandchildren Elija, Oliver, & Giovanni, many more cousins and friends too.

Helen would eventually get married to Lewis G. Burke Jr. and finish her duty but would travel from Alabama Fort McClellan to Texas Fort Hood (Dallas Cowboys fan) and to Panama Canal while having Lewis G. Burke III and Lawrence Burke on those two military bases, respectively. Eventually adding Angela and Lance and settling down in Aston in 1965.

 Helen would become a Den Mother for four years where she won several awards for her projects in the community that her troop was involved in. Helen would start working for Penn Delco School District in (1972 – 1986) for the cafeteria for fourteen years cooking & baking, making special day themes for all the kids, and dressing up in costumes for all the special holidays while also using her unique abilities to bake special goods for the staff consisting of Northley, Sun Valley, Aston Middle, Coeburn, Green Ridge, and Pennell. Helen would also enjoy one year at Ridley School District. During Helen’s summers through her Penn Delco / Ridley years in the school cafeteria Helen was food director at Camp Sunshine that was for kids 8 -11 years old from financially distressed families. In addition to planning and running a staff to serve three meals a day and two snacks a day, she coordinated many meals into special events, such as a happy birthday for everybody, to a carnival day where staff would dress up for the kids and they would enjoy paper tickets to purchase burgers, hot dogs, popcorn, fries, corn on the cob, drinks and desserts. Helen also had the campers learn cleanliness, good eating habits, set a table, clean up and sweep after each meal. She would have a Thanksgiving meal and a scavenger hunt with a watermelon feast at the end. Prior to the start of each summer camp, Helen would lead volunteers to do massive baking of all delicious goods and have the annual Granite Run Mall Sale with thousands of items would be sold out that would ensure the camp’s success. Helen served on the Board of Directors all these years too.

Through these years Helen would attend Drexel University for summer workshops as well as partial scholarships to Penn State main campus and Delaware County Community College where she would receive her associate degree in Hotel Restaurant Management in 1985. 

Helen also ran her own business “Helen’s Creations” out of her home that involved catering, making specialty cakes and even wedding cakes up to seven tiers high. This later love was mostly self-taught. Helen had many entries and winning recipes that a couple were published by Sun Maid Raisin Company such as a cranberry cake and her applesauce cake. Helen’s homemade bread and rolls were a treat sought out by many as well as her sticky buns and endless baked goods. 

Helen did not stop there! She would eventually realize a longtime dream of owning her own restaurant/coffee shop near her childhood hometown in New York named Ernie’s to honor her late brother-in-law who had died young from cancer. The shop was located next to the bus depot where Ernie worked for Brown’s Tour Buses. Helen’s restaurant would do well for just several years before she would sell it and resume her full time focus back in the Delaware County Area to pursue other interests. There were many. Helen would continue in the restaurant industry by working at the Log Cabin Inn, Wood Company and Assis House Retirement Convent for the sisters of St. Francis cooking for eleven nuns near Neuman University, Aston, PA. Helen was also a caregiver to two elderly women who were suffering from Alzheimer’s. 

In 1986, mom would start working just one job for the first time at Overbrook Country Club (comedy). There she would excel in an already busy and successful career to only continue her love for food in the food industry. There she  would meet many amazing people, coworkers and members and have a long-lasting relationship which just enriched her life further to this day.

Mom would eventually leave to pursue a closer endeavor to her residence in 1997 when Ice Works in Aston was opening, and they were looking for someone to head up the kitchen/café operations of soon to be a massive four ice rink complex. Helen would bring her broad appeal and success to help launch their business.

Unfortunately, ovarian cancer would strike, and mom would have to give up the Ice Works dream job and go to battle for her life. The owners and coworkers initiated a huge blood drive for mom and formed an everlasting friendship till this day.

Veterans are warriors trained to handle anything, anywhere, anytime in a  battle. Mom would fight the next couple of years with her cancer battle and treatments and prevail. She would also come back to speak at the cancer conference and encourage newly diagnosed people to fight and show that it can be beaten and defeated. It will mark 25 years Sept. 14, 2024. 

Our mom dedicated her life to civic duty all through her life while raising four kids and helping raise two grand kids (Marianna and Eddie), who she loved the world over, as well as her other grand kids and great grand kids. 

She had a vast list of hobbies such as sewing, ceramics, flower arrangements, Elvis shows to see impersonators and collecting his stuff, coffee mug collections, collecting anything strawberry, and stamps - not intentionally a hobby from years of clutter / accumulating them. (laughs), to cake decorating, collecting canned goods for a massive bomb shelter (more laughs), to being a shopaholic. Her nickname to us kids was “store junkie” cause when the grocery ads would come mom was like the Road Runner (Beep! Beep!) to go get the deals from all those sales. 

Upon her many interests: Loved Elvis, Dallas Cowboys, New York Yankees, picnics especially with all those wonderful Emerson family members, the Ewaka’s and everyone else. 

The family would kindly ask that this be a celebration for our mom. Please join us as this is a casual patriotic attire event to salute a final farewell to an amazing American patriot. In lieu of flowers (inflation by Bidenomics & Kamalaomics), mom would say, small donations are greatly appreciated to mom’s church – Memorial Presbyterian Church, 3217 Chichester Avenue, Upper Chichester, PA 19061. Helen was a longtime member of this small church and ran the kitchen downstairs for many of them for all their events and this bunch added to the many friendships that our mom has greatly cherished all of her life. God has totally blessed our beautiful mom with an abundant life of love from all those who knew her including Pastor (Bob) Robert Kaufman.

Visitation for the public will be held on Friday September 13th at 9:30 am to 11:00 am at Memorial Presbyterian Church 3217 Chichester Ave. Boothwyn, PA., followed by a small ceremony at 11:00am  by Pastor Kaufman.  Internment at Lawn Croft Cemetery, Linwood, PA. with military honors. A luncheon will follow at Boothwyn Fire House / Lia’s Catering Hall at 1405 Meeting House Road, Boothwyn, PA 19061. Online condolences can be shared at www.paganofuneralhome.com.