James Joseph Burke

Published 12:01 am Sunday, April 8, 2012

HOUSTON, Texas — A funeral Mass for James Joseph Burke, 65, who died Monday, April 2, 2012, in Cypress, Texas, will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church.

Arrangements are under the direction of Cypress-Fairbanks Funeral Home in Houston, Texas.

Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Monday with a Rosary service beginning at 7 p.m. at the funeral home.

Mr. Burke the son of John V. and Eillene Burke. He was a graduate of Cathedral High School. Jim was a 28-year member of the Knights of Columbus. He was a charter member of the Anton J. Frank, Council No. 8771, of Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church. He served as Grand Knight for the fraternal year 1988 to 1989.

Jim was elected to the board of directors of Northwest Harris County MUD No. 5 in 1990. He served as a director from 1990 through January 2000, when he resigned to serve on the North Harris County Regional Water Authority Board, where he served as a director for District No. 1 until February 2002.

Jim was also a member of the Texas Association of Water Board Directors; 1996 to 1997, he served as the South Texas representative; 1998 to 1999, he served as president of AWBD; 1999 to 2000, he served as the treasurer and immediate past president; 2000 to 2001, he served as the president of AWBD for a second term; and 2002 to 2004, he served as the immediate past president.

Since Jim joined the Texas Association of Water Board Directors, he served as a member of the AWBD legislative committee, continuously. He was elected to the board of directors of Harris County MUD No. 366 and served as president from 2002 to date.

Jim was preceded in death by his parents and twin sister, Paula Burke Winders.

Survivors include his wife, Mary Burke; one son, John Burke; three stepdaughters, Theresa Wall and husband, Marcus, Christy Shaw and husband, Donald, and Cathy Posey; five grandchildren, Brandon Wall, Lauren Wall, Dylan Shaw, Blake Shaw and Natalie Burke; two sisters, Mary Alice Flournoy and husband, James, and Karen Morrow and husband, Carl; and a number of nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Cathedral High School, Cathedral School Development Office, 701 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St., Natchez, MS 39120-2962.