Marcia M. Burke

Marcia Mary Burke, 84, of Sioux City, passed away on Friday, August 11, 2017 at Holy Spirit Retirement Home after a long illness.

Services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church with Father David Hemann officiating. Visitation will be Wednesday, August 16, 2017 from 4-8 P.M. with the family present from 6-8 P.M. and a Celebration of Life service at 7:00 P.M. at Meyer Brothers Colonial Chapel. Burial will be at Calvary Cemetery. Online condolences may be sent online to www.meyerbroschapels.com.

Marcia was born June 23, l933 in Bloomfield, Nebraska. She was the daughter of William and Mercedes (Killackey) Moore. She graduated from Bloomfield High School, went on to attend Wayne State College, and eventually received her B.A. degree from Briar Cliff College and her M.A. degree from Morningside College.

She married Thomas P. Burke Dec. 27, 1954 in Bloomfield NE. They had three children, Rebecca, Kathy and Bill.

Marcia began her long career as a public school teacher in Sioux City. She enjoyed working with at-risk students and spent many satisfying years at Hopkins and Crescent Park elementary schools. She was an enthusiastic and exemplary teacher who used every trick in the book to encourage students to learn to read. Her classrooms sometimes looked like the sets of a game show as she amassed many prizes to give away to students who made their reading targets.

Marcia was the chair of the board of the Good Samaritan Home for elderly women and later served on the board of Holy Spirit—two outstanding local facilities for the aged and disabled in Sioux City. She was devoted to her family, young students, and the aged, especially the many in her own family who depended on her. Though she never pretended to be saintly, she truly did spend her lifetime serving others. And after a major stroke 15 years ago, it became others’ turn to serve her. Marcia was a member of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church. She also belonged to PEO and many other professional educational organizations.

Marcia loved reading, dancing, and movies, especially classics and comedies. Even as a fulltime teacher with three children at home, she found time to read an ever-present stack of library books. She and her husband Tom were crazy about dancing and started up and joined many area dance clubs. They bought a getaway cabin on the river in Elk Point SD, where for many happy years family and friends enjoyed the good life: inner-tubing, fishing, mushroom hunting and gardening. She and Tom also enjoyed many vacations in Canada and Las Vegas, with a few special cruises topping off a lifetime of pleasure in each other’s company. Marcia was an avid bargain hunter and rummage sale enthusiast although her take-home bounty did not always get the reception she hoped for from her husband. Marcia felt close to her hometown of Bloomfield NE and like her husband was proud of her Irish heritage. Marcia had an infectious laugh remembered by all who knew her, especially her children, who never once got lost in a store with this laugh as their guide back to her.

Survivors include her 3 children: Rebecca Ann Burke and her husband Tony Smith of Ames, IA, Kathy Johnson and her husband Rich of Peoria, IL, Bill Burke and his wife Sandy of Sioux City; 2 brothers, John Moore of Pacific Grove, CA and Tom Moore of San Francisco, CA; 5 grandchildren: Bridgit Burke-Smith, Conor Burke-Smith, Matthew Johnson and his wife Donna, Brea Anne Bentley and her husband Dan, and Brooke Johnson and her husband Nick Travis, 5 great grandchildren: Maddox and Knox Bentley and Caden, Claire and Coraline Johnson. Marcia loved all the many dogs in her life, most lately her buddy Noah.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Thomas and 2 brothers: Bill and Bob

Memorials may be made in her name to: The Sioux City Public Library.