Vivian Burke Obituary

 Vivian Agnes (“Pat”) Burke, a long-time resident of her beloved Round Pond in Claryville, NY, passed away in the early morning of July 7. Born December 22, 1930 in Brooklyn, NY, she was the daughter of Irish immigrant, Martin A. (“Austin”) Burke V and Vivian A. Kuhfuss Burke. Pat was predeceased by her cherished brother Martin J. (“Marty”) Burke VI, (USN). Pat grew up in Brooklyn where she faithfully rooted for the Dodgers until they broke her heart by moving to California after the 1957 season, after which she switched her allegiance to the Mets. She graduated from Hunter College High School and Hunter College in Manhattan, and taught physical education at Kingston High School from 1954 to 1964, after which she obtained her Master’s Degree from San Francisco State College and completed additional graduate work at Stanford University.

Returning to Kingston High School in 1970, Pat took full advantage of the recently enacted Title IX and assumed a pioneering role in coaching a variety of sport programs for girls, including volleyball, basketball, and softball. Over the following twenty years, she was highly successful in these endeavors, especially with her softball teams, amassing a record of 275 wins against 107 losses. Those teams are credited with 4 Division championships, 6 League championships, 8 Section titles, and Intersectional title, a Regional championship, and a trip to the New York State Semi-Finals. Pat’s influence on that sport and the several generations of young women who played it for her were acknowledged in 1996 when the Kingston High School softball field was named in her honor. But, as “her girls” would tell you, sports were more than just about winning and losing to Coach Burke. It was always about Teamwork – and Doing Your Best – and Respect for the Game. Pat’s legacy of contributions to sports at Kingston High School was finally and appropriately acknowledged in 2017 when she was inducted into their first Annual Athletic Hall of Fame Class. The Program Book for that ceremony identifies Pat as “a pioneer of the girls’ sports program at K. H. S.” and “an advocate for equality and a strong proponent for the girls’ athletic program.”

In her retirement, Pat enjoyed traveling to watch her young nephews compete in a variety of sports and activities and join in their family celebrations. She hosted an annual summer Burke Family Reunion at Round Pond, glorying in the arrival of upwards of thirty cousins who spent the long weekend swimming, fishing, boating, golf, and just “hanging out” with one another. In the Fall, she hosted a similar reunion of her Canadian cousins, and both groups have credited her for helping them to establish an enduring bond of affection in ways that might not have otherwise occurred. Her annual “Sundae Sunday” was also a big hit with the families of her fellow residents at Round Pond, all of whom miss her.

Visitation will be held at Loucks Funeral Home in Ellenville on Friday, July 11 from 4 - 7 PM. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at Immaculate Concepcion Church in Woodbourne on Saturday, July 12 at 10 AM.

In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to the Sullivan County SPCA https://sullivanspca.org/donate/