Thomas Edward Burke's Obituary
Thomas Burke, a Broadway stagehand who worked on shows including “Moulin Rouge,” “Kinky Boots” and “Hair,” died of natural causes on Friday, May 8th, at his home in Lewes, Delaware. He was 72.
Tom who was known professionally as Tommy worked on Broadway for over 40 years and truly loved his job. He enjoyed the excitement of watching live musicals and plays every day, and how each night was different. He was a man who preferred not to be in the spotlight, instead shining it on others.
In many ways, Tom was like a cat with nine lives. He wasn’t killed by the burns he got at 12 years old from a chemistry set; or the lung infection he got from during college; or several totaled cars; or the partying of yesteryear. Yet he went out like a flame, quickly and quietly exactly how he would have wanted it. Tom never wanted to be sick, or for anyone to take care of him.
Thomas Edward Burke was born in Brooklyn, New York, on February 1st, 1954. His father, Edward J. Burke, was a stagehand and stage manager at NBC. His mother, Lois Watt, was an entertainer and professional dancer who later became a school secretary. He grew up in Bushwick, Brooklyn, and later Lawrence, Long Island, with his two older sisters, Pam and April.
After high school, Tom went to Stony Brook University, where he got a bachelors of science in psychology.
He became an IATSE Local One Union Stagehand in 1980, a position that he kept until his retirement in 2022. He served many years at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre (formerly the Martin Beck Theatre), where he ran the front-light. Over the years he worked on shows like “Moulin Rouge,” “Kinky Boots,” “Hair,” “Tommy,” “42nd St,” and “Ragtime.”
While he was working on Broadway, Tom began frequenting a local dive bar in Cedarhurst where he met a short-order cook named Donna Butcher. They were married in 1991 on a yacht that cruised around Manhattan.
They raised two daughters together, Sarah Burke and Hannah Burke, who grew up in Lynbrook, New York. Their childhood was filled with pool parties, seeing the shows he worked on, and family vacations around the country.
After his wife, Donna, died in 2019, Tom continued to work until 2022, when he retired and moved from their home in Lynbrook down to a condo in Lewes.
In his free time, Tom loved relaxing at the beach, playing video games, watching movies and TV shows, and enjoying a delicious meal with family and friends.
He’s survived by his daughters, Sarah Burke and Hannah Burke; his sisters, Pam Grace and April Bahn; and his companion, Sharon Updike.
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