 Robert Oliver Burke Sr |
Robert Oliver Burke Sr, co-founder of a forklift business in Mississippi, died of kidney failure at his home in Gulf Breeze on 25 October at age 82.
"Bob and I were on the Clark dealer council together," recalls Richard Sinclair, president of Jefferds Corp in St Albans, West Virginia near Charleston. "He was president, and I was a young pup. Bob was a good mentor to younger guys who entered the business. I will always be grateful to him."
Danny Johnston of Lubbock, Texas says of Burke, "I had the greatest respect for him . . . and learned from his wisdom and experience." Johnston's late father, Joe Bob Johnston, was a Burke contemporary and, with his son, operated Western Clarklift and Supply Inc in Lubbock, now Western Forklift and Supply. Danny Johnston sold the business in 2004.
Burke was born in Memphis, Tennessee as the eighth of nine children, graduated from Christian Brothers High School and started his career in the materials handling industry at Clark dealership Fred J Vandemark Co in Memphis.
Entrepreneurs Burke and Barney F Hasenyager opened Mississippi Clarklift Inc in Jackson, Mississippi on 1 January 1966 and assumed territory that Delta Material Handling of Memphis, Tennessee previously handled on behalf of the Clark and Crown brands.
The identity was changed to Burke Handling Systems Inc in 1985 to better describe the dealership's broadened line of materials handling equipment.
Burke's son, Robert O Burke Jr, acquired Hasenyager's interest in 1980 and his father's portion in 1990, when Burke senior retired to the Pensacola region of Florida and a life of golf, travel and contract bridge.
In addition to Jackson, Burke Handling Systems has other Mississippi facilities in Leland, Columbus and Hattiesburg that were opened, respectively, in 1975, 1976 and 1995. The dealership has more than 50 employees and represents the Clark, Crown, Doosan, Sellick, Landoll and Linde forklift lines. In addition, the dealership stocks Hytrol conveyor systems, Magline hand trucks, Pioneer dock equipment, PJ Casters and K-W/Hawker PowerSource industrial batteries and chargers.
Burke senior is survived by his wife Deborah, six children, 14 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
A funeral mass was celebrated last week at Our Lady of the Assumption Mission in Pensacola Beach. Memorial donations should go to Ronald McDonald House Charities.