Richard J. Burke

Richard J. Burke, Irish-American Journalist, Poet and Playwright, born in Buffalo, New York 9 October, 1915 the son of Joseph Raymond Burke and Josephine Catherine Keating. He was killed 4 November, 1999 in Amherst, New York. He married 19 October, 1940 Josephina Battaglia the daughter of Carmelo Battaglia of Monte Maggiore, Sicily, and Antonia Fasulo of Burgio, Sicily.

Mr. Burke signed-up with Troop E, 121st Cavalry Regiment, US National Guard in the 1930s and, after the Guard was federalised, was stationed at Fort McClellan in Alabama from October 15, 1940, until 1941. At the outbreak of World War II, Richard and his wife moved to New York City where he worked for the US Office of War Information, handling information for the British, Scandinavian and Russian desks.

In the 1950s, he became News Director of WBEN Radio and WBEN-TV in Buffalo, New York. Later, as a journalist for the Buffalo Evening News, he travelled to Rome for the final session of Vatican II in 1965 and covered Pope Paul’s historic appearance before the United Nations. During his 28-year career at the Buffalo newspaper he received numerous awards, including the New York State Associated Press Association Award for a series of articles entitled Free Wheeling in WNY about his 1972 bicycle tour of Western New York. He also wrote a weekly nature column which was illustrated with his own thumbnail sketches. Mr. & Mrs. Burke had three children:

1. Capt. Dr. Timothy Raymond Burke m. Dame Beverly Jeanette Mayer and had: Adrian Benjamin Burke, Esq. of New York City2. Daniel Richard Burke (Twins) m. Ellen Duquette Issue.3. Deborah Josephine Burke (Twins) m. Mark Woods Issue.

After retiring from the Buffalo Evening News in 1977 he wrote articles on Spanish galleon hunting and lost treasures for national magazines and researched the Spanish occupation of the Caribbean. When he was struck by a speeding motorist in front of his home he was working on a screenplay and several plays.

In December 2005 the Irish Genealogical Research Society of London, England published in their official journal The Irish Genealogist an article written by Adrian Benjamin Burke, Esq. about Richard J. Burke detailing seven generations of his Irish forbears and progeny.