Tom passed away on Friday, July 1, 2016, the day before his 82nd birthday, after a brief illness. He was the son of the late Thomas and Etta Burke of Fall River, and was pre-deceased by his sister Anne Wilkinson of West Roxbury and his sister Jean Mizak of Fall River. He is survived by his wife, Ginger (Gardella), six children and many grandchildren.
Tom loved life – the glass was always half full! He met and married his high school sweetheart and head cheerleader, Ginger. He was a parishioner of St. Julie Billiart Church, where he was often a daily communicant.
He graduated from Durfee High and was a proud member of their 1952 state champion basketball team. In 1956, he graduated from Boston College, where he was among the first resident students. His military service included membership in the R.O.T.C., and an assignment to Ft. Bliss, Texas, where, as a First Lieutenant in the Army, he was an instructor in the Guided Missile School. After the Army, he was married and graduated from Boston College Law School.
Tom had a long and respected professional legal career in the New Bedford and Dartmouth communities, first with the law firm of Desmarais and Carey, followed by a successful professional partnership with his great friend, Walter Smith. He was an active member of several bar associations, including the ABA, MBA, BCBA, and NBBA. He was appointed as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, was a former member of the Board of Governors of the Massachusetts Academy of Trial Lawyers, and a former director of the Massachusetts Defense Attorneys Association.
He was a devoted supporter of education – serving as a member of the Dartmouth School Committee and as trial counsel for the New Bedford School Committee. He was an honorary inductee to the DHS Hall of Fame for his support of its athletic program.
Tom was a long-time member of the New Bedford Country Club, where he took great joy in being the Master of Ceremonies at the Tuesday Night League. He taught his family to love to ski, and he always looked forward to his annual trip to Park City, Utah. He was a proud member of the “Over the Hill” gang in Fall River. He was a lifelong member of Baker’s Beach Club in Westport, and recently enjoyed spending his winters with Ginger in Siesta Key, Florida. On any autumn Saturday, you could find Tom holding court at a BC football tailgate party with his great friends.
Among his survivors are his wife, Ginger, and their children – Thomas and his wife Lucia of Dartmouth; Stephen and his wife Sandra of Dedham; Susan of Park City, Utah; Paul and his wife Susan of Westport; Kathleen and her husband Matt of Winchester; and Jay of Providence, RI. He took great joy in his many grandchildren and always encouraged them to be kind.
Funeral arrangements are by the Saunders-Dwyer Home for Funerals, 495 Park Street, New Bedford. The wake will be held on Wednesday, July 6th from 4:00 – 8:00 pm, and the funeral mass will be at St. Julie Billiart Church on Thursday, July 7th, at 10:00 am. Interment will be at South Dartmouth Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a charity of your choice. For directions and guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.