Gerald Burk

Gerald “Jerry” Dean Burk of Bailey, Colorado, passed away Tuesday, February 19th, in Broomfield, CO. His health had declined following a stroke in January of 2018. He was 88 years old. He was born on January 23rd, 1931 in Eagleton, Arkansas to Girld and Agnes Burk. The family moved west to Oregon and then settled in northeastern California. After playing football in his Junior year, working at Kilpatrick’s Grocery Store and the lumber mill in Gray Eagle, Jerry graduated from Portola High School in 1948. He enlisted in the United States Air Force in January of 1951. He studied to be an aircraft mechanic, being stationed in several cities around the country until he was discharged in 1955. He graduated from Fresno State College with a Bachelors in Geology. He started postgraduate studies at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington, where he met Janet Thomson. Jerry secured a job with the Bureau of Reclamation, starting out in Moses Lake, Washington. Janet and Jerry were married on March 30th, 1963. Jerry accepted a position in Phoenix where they lived for 4 years. They enjoyed escaping the heat by camping in the high country. Jerry transferred to Willows, California, in 1967. He joined a sailplane club and spent time flying gliders and also driving a tow vehicle (their 1964 Ford Custom) at Rabbit Dry Lake. His lifelong passion for aviation grew. In 1968 they moved to Carmichael, California, and welcomed a daughter into the world, Christine Marie. Jerry obtained his private pilot’s license while in Carmichael. He worked at Pyramid Lake, Nevada for some time until the USBR offered a position at the Federal Center in Lakewood, Colorado. The family moved to Colorado in the winter of 1975. Back then, snow was a novelty. Shortly after arriving in Colorado, Jerry expanded his aviation pursuits by joining the Foothills Squadron of the Colorado Civil Air Patrol. Jerry continued working for the Bureau, spending months at Brantley Dam in New Mexico. Toward the end of his career, he spent a month in Kuala Lumpur, working on a joint project with the Malaysian government. Jerry retired from the Bureau in June of 1993. In 1997, the Burks fully embraced retirement, moving to the beautiful mountain hamlet of Bailey. Jerry remained active with the Civil Air Patrol until 2006 when he retired as a Lieutenant Colonel after 31 years of service. He was also a member of the Experimental Aircraft Association, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association and the Association of Engineering Geologists. Unofficial affiliations included a charter membership in the ROMEO Club (Retired Old Men Eating Out). Jerry also supported the Friends of the Bailey Library, the Park County Historical Society, participated in Silver Set activities in Bailey and enjoyed Tuesday coffee at the Knotty Pine with friends. He was an avid reader, loved to travel and had a lifelong interest in geology. A big, gentle, bear of a man, he was intelligent, soft-spoken, had a keen sense of humor and was a good listener. He is survived by his wife, Janet; a daughter, Christine (Andrew) Keating, a sister Irma (Stewart) Johnston and brother Bill Burk, as well as many nieces and nephews. Preceded in death by his parents Girld and Agnes. A celebration of life will be held in Bailey later this Spring. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Civil Air Patrol: https://development.gocivilairpatrol.com/np/clients/gocivilairpatrol/membershipJoin.jsp On July 12th Jerry’s cremains were released into the wind over the Pike National Forest, latitude 39.392N, longitude 105.064W at 9,700 feet MSL.