Don R. Burke

Donald R. “Don” Burke, former Director of Bands for the Norwich High School, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family on Thursday, August 8, 2024 at Crouse Memorial Hospital in Syracuse.

Born in Norwich on June 28, 1952, Don was a son of the late Robert and Alice Irene (Long) Burke. He graduated from Norwich High School with the Class of 1970. Following High School, he attended Westchester University and Duquesne University, in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in music. While at Duquesne University he became a brother in the Alpha Phi Delta fraternity, an Italian American Heritage Fraternity in existence since 1914. The Irish boy from New York fit in quite well and has kept in touch with many of his brothers.

Upon graduation in 1974, Don found employment as the Director of Music in the Mt. Upton Central School. He taught at Mt. Upton for six years and also studied for his Masters at SUNY Oneonta and Binghamton University. Don was seen as a welcome addition in Mt. Upton where he strived to build up the music program and make it not only bigger but better.

On April 22, 1981, Don’s life and career came full circle as he took over for his former band director William Spang as the Director of Bands for Norwich High School. Music was not just a career for Don, it was his passion. Over his 26 years at Norwich, he taught, mentored, encouraged and sought to bring out the very best in all his students, whether it was marching band, field band, his jazz group or the color guard. The bands excelled under his leadership winning many awards and trophies, including Best in Class eight times at the Sherburne Pageant of Bands and the field band was Conference Champions at the Carrier Dome in 2002, 2003 and 2004, just to name a few. Don won an award himself in 2003 from the Youth Bureau, citing his outstanding work with the youth in the area.

Music played a role in his “spare” time over the years as Don participated in productions with the Tri Town Theatre musicals and many other school musicals. Don also joined the Rochester Crusader Drum and Bugle Corps and enjoyed their competitions very much. Don greatly believed in exposing his students to all different types of live musical experiences and found time to take them to Broadway productions and many live performances of a variety of different musical genres. Many of his students became performers, musicians and educators because of the world of music that he opened up for them. Don retired as Director of Bands for Norwich in 2007 but continued to volunteer over the years with their program, aiding and assisting in any way that he could. In retirement, Don found a part time career as a tour guide for a bus company taking people to large cities along the east coast. Philadelphia and Washington were two of his favorites because of the rich history attached to those cities. As many knew he was an avid New York Times crossword puzzle fan and could be seen around town with his clipboard and erasable pen.

In 2018, at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, NY, Don was inducted into the New York State Field Band Conference Hall of Fame, an honor which he greatly appreciated.

Don is survived by his sister-in-law, Jolynn M. (Vorhies) Burke, of Norwich; his niece, Jonna M. (Dennis, Jr.) Burke-Franklin, of Oxford, and grandniece, Alyssa M. Burke-Franklin; several cousins; and many former students, band parents and friends. In addition to his parents, Don was predeceased by his brother, Gary D. Burke on May 16, 2015.

In honor of Don’s wishes, there will be no formal services at this time. Don believed in doing all he could to assist budding musicians in achieving their goals, especially when it came to higher education. Toward that end, a scholarship fund is being set up to provide funds to the most promising senior who is continuing their education in music. Anyone wishing to make a contribution in his names may donate to the scholarship in his memory by making a check payable to the “Don Burke Memorial Scholarship” c/o Wilson Funeral Home, 68 South Broad Street, Norwich, NY 13815. 

Final arrangements have been entrusted with John Antonowicz of the Wilson Funeral Home.