| My name is Patrick Barnaby Burke Jr., or "Young Sonny"
for short. For those of you who do not know me I am a long term patient
of "ALS" or as it is better known "Lou Gehrig's Disease". I am currently
on long term disability leave from my place of employment.
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| I am a licensed 1st Class Operating Engineer by trade.
I was employed as a training co-ordinator by the large, steel manufacturing
company Dofasco Inc. Dofasco is located in the large, metropolitan city
of Hamilton, Ontario Canada.
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| I would like to think that I am an active participant
in my local community of Lynden. I am a member and past president of my
local Lynden Lions Club, the Royal Canadian Legion - Branch 500 Lynden,
the Lynden Canada Day Committee, and also an active member of the local
Hamilton chapter of the ALS Society of Canada. I am also a member of the
Hamilton, the Ontario, the Nova Scotia, and the National Genealogical Societies.
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| My wife Marilyn and I have been married for 33
years [1968] and we were
fortunate enough to have three beautiful children, one of whom, the eldest, Michael Todd b. 1970 is married. He and his wife Sarah Ellen (Chapman) are the proud parents of two precious daughters Madison Ashleigh b. 1999 and Lorelai Michelle b. 2001, who love sitting in Papa's desk draws, whilst I work. |
| Our two other children, who by-the-way still live at
home, are Edward Daniel b. 1973 and our youngest Jennifer Lynn b. 1974.
Jennifer and Mom are presently planning for Jennifer's wedding, coming
this July seventh. "Danny and I, wearing our flack jackets, are staying
clear" of the planning process.
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| Someone once said "Home is where the heart is", and in
the spring of 1993 after being confined to a wheelchair and having a lot
of free time on my hands I developed [and still have] an uncontrollable
desire and need to leave for my children, a road map to their past. I had
previously failed, or so I believed, to teach them adequately enough about
their family roots; other than perhaps a "wee" bit of my and Marilyn's
immediate Burke and Sampson families. They knew very little of my "Burke"
or Marilyn's "Sampson" far reaching roots and rich family "histories".....Therefore
this legacy is begun! ...
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| With the help, love and support of others in our family,
especially those of Cape Breton Island much has been accomplished and I
must therefore at this time thank them, one and all, for their generosity
and assistance with this work of love.
Pat |
