Larry Burke

"Larry" Lawrence Burke, 57, went home to be in heaven on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2007. A celebration of life service will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Davidson Funeral Home, Hickory Tree Chapel. Interment will follow in Arrington Heights Freewill Baptist Church Cemetery in Lexington with Chaplain Rennie Adcock and the Rev. Doug McGee presiding. Mr. Burke entered this world Oct. 10, 1949, in Berea, Ky. He was born to Lawrence and Imogene Burke. For most of his life he built homes and worked in construction. He had a high school education and 57 years of life's teachings. He was a member of Arrington Heights Freewill Baptist Church, where he loved to sing in the choir. Larry's health started to fail four years ago and was critical for the last two months. Larry was blessed to have had a lot of friends to share his life. He tried to make everyone smile. He had a way of being happy from morning until night. He was preceded in death by his parents; stepmom Marie Hensley; seven brothers, Jim, Russell, Bill, Gary and Donnie Burke and Finley and Don Hensley; and three sisters, Marie Jones, Patsy George and Georgia Harris. He leaves behind his wife and best friend, Lorraine Surratt Burke, and a very special part of his heart, Brittany Gregg; his dogs, Herchell, Sassy, Maggie and Big Dawg; his cats, Miss Kitty Kat and Smudge; and Mr. Wiggles, his rabbit, to share his passing. He is also survived by a brother, Bob Arthur and his wife, Trena, of Indiana; five stepbrothers, David Jones of Indiana, Danny and his wife, Ruth, Jack and his wife, Anne, Darrel, and Gene and his wife, Pam, all of Kentucky; and eight sisters, Judy Hall of Virginia, Betty Boyd of Idaho, Jean Van Winkle, Violia lssacs, Wanda Issacs and Peggy Jones, all of Indiana, Shirley Sizemore of Kansas and Linda Tankersley Roland of Kentucky. Larry had lots of nieces and nephews, cousins, aunts and uncles who he loved unconditionally. He leaves behind a special foster mother and father, Stanley and Irene Arthur of Indiana. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 Thursday at Davidson Funeral Home, Hickory Tree Chapel. A very special thanks goes to Gena Nicholas for being the best friend and support that his wife could have. Thanks also to Sylvia and Robert Surratt for helping make it possible to bring Larry home before New Year's and thanks to doctors and nurses and Hospice for all you did for him to make his last few weeks comfortable. "We will miss you always, but a part of you stays with us. A big part of my heart goes with you." Love, Lorraine.