John Burke, judge, Oyster Bay supervisor, dies
Photo credit: Handout | John Burke, who went on to become supervisor in the Town of Oyster Bay for four terms, and a State Supreme Court justice for 27 years, died at his Syosset home Feb. 21. He was 85. (March 05, 2013)
LI notable deaths
Notable Long Islanders who died in 2011
When John W. Burke was in his early 20s, a moment came when two of his life's great loves came to the fore.
Burke, a talented baseball player from Brooklyn, received a letter from the Brooklyn Dodgers asking him to try out. That would have been a dream invitation, except that about the same time, Burke got another tempting offer: An acceptance letter from Cornell Law School.
"He knew...
