Kern County CA Obituary Project Obituaries.....West, Burke January 26 2005 ********************************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/obits/obitsca/obitsca.htm ********************************************************** File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: K T bluewolf@onemain.com January 28, 2005, 3:26 pm The Bakersfield Californian Burke West Services: Mon., Jan. 31, 10 a.m. Burke West, longtime Ridgecrest resident passed away at his home after a lengthy illness on January 26, 2005. He was born in Bakersfield on March 11, 1921 to Albert and Jane West. Burke enlisted in the Marine Corps when he was 19 years old; he served in World War II, became a pilot and joined the Black Sheep Squadron, flying F-4U Corsairs. During the Korean Conflict he returned to the Marine Corps as a pilot, flying jets. After the Korean Conflict he remained with the Marine Corps on active duty status at Los Alamitos until he retired in June of 1975 as a Colonel. He loved the Marine Corps and knew from an early age what he wanted to do with his life. When he was in the third grade, one of his homework assignments was to write an essay on what he wanted to be. This paper started out, All I ever want to be is a military man. Burke attended Loyola Unviersity and Loyola Law School; while attending law school, he worked full-time for the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department. He was in law school when he was called back for Korea; he finished law school on his return. After passing the bar, he first practiced law in Los Angeles for a year before moving to Ridgecrest in 1959. He retired from his practice in 2000. In the early days before Ridgecrest had a Superior Court, he drove back and forth between Ridgecrest and Bakersfield two or three times a week. He also sat Judge Pro Tempore in the Family Law Department of the Kern County Superior Court for 15 years. In Ridgecrest, Burke was active in community affairs and city government. In 1962 he presided over the Chamber of Commerce; he has been an active Rotarian for more than forty years; was active on the civil Defense Advisory Council; was instrumental in launching the Desert Empire Fair Board and securing the current fairgrounds. He helped found the Maturango Museum; was a founding member of the Board of Directors of Ridgecrest Regional Hospital, a member of the Navy League and was in charge of the Devil Pup Program in Ridgecrest for many years. He was one of the signers of the City of Ridgecrest Charter and a member of the China Lake Search and Rescue Group, and an active member of Footprinters. Burke loved life and lived it to the fullest. He loved the outdoors, particularly the mountains. He loved camping, hiking, hunting and being outdoors. In his younger years, he spent much of his free time in the Sierras. In his later years, he enjoyed spending time during the summer and early fall in Montana with his family. Burke loved his country, his family and his friends. He is survived by his wife of 23 years, Cecilia; his son and daughter-in-law, Cedar and Marilyn West of Ennis, Montana; daughter and son-in-law, Diana and William Troyk of Mequon, Wisconsin; daughter and son-in-law, Marine and David McKinney of Ennis, Montana; daughter and son-in-law, Kimberly and Michael Metcalf of Ridgecrest, California; and son and daughter-in-law, Rodney and Shannon Ruggieri of Santa Clarita, California; twelve grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Burke will be greatly missed by all who loved him; he was truly one of a kind. A Funeral Mass will be held on Monday, January 31, 2005, at 10:00 a.m., at St. Anns Catholic Church located at 446 W. Church St., in Ridgecrest, CA. Monsignor Kevin Cleary will be officiating. Military Graveside Rites will be by the United States Marine Corps which will be held at Desert Memorial Park, 801 S. San Bernardino Rd., Ridgecrest, CA. Visitation will be held on Sunday, January 30, 2005 from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Holland & Lyons Chapel, 216 S. Norma Street, Ridgecrest, California. Holland & Lyons Mortuary (760) 371-1376 Additional Comments: Volunteer submission - No relation to deceased. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/kern/obits/gob4996west.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/caobfiles/ File size: 4.4 Kb