Randy Virgil Burke – beloved husband, father, brother, grandfather, and great-grandfather – passed away peacefully at home in Clovis, CA following a chronic illness on Wednesday, November 8, 2023.
Randy was born to Keith Williams and Erma Fae Brown Burke in Idaho Falls, ID on Friday, September 19, 1952. Energetic and mischievous from the start, he kept his family on their toes and was always the life of the party. Randy was hard-working and always put his family first. He started working at age 12 as a busboy alongside his cousins, his mother and his aunt, Donna Nichols, at the Stardust Restaurant in Idaho Falls. He later worked alongside his father at the Utah Power and Light Pole Yard.
He attended Idaho Falls High School, where he met his sweetheart Linda Walker. He took up boxing, taught himself how to play drums, and was in a local rock and roll band. Randy and Linda were married June 4, 1971, and soon welcomed their first daughter, Nickola Lin. They became a family of four six years later when their second daughter, Candas Rae, was born.
Seeking the best opportunity for his family, Randy transferred to a position as a control room operator for Utah Power and Light. Working in this capacity for 43 years, he moved his family from Idaho Falls to Salt Lake City, then to Ferron and eventually to Price, UT, where they settled for several happy years.
Randy was an avid golfer, and played in local and regional tournaments throughout Eastern Utah. He was an especially skilled putter and had an amazing short game. He had a knack for teaching golf and spent countless hours patiently teaching his family on the golf course. He was so proud when he caddied for Candas as she won her first tournament. He had custom golf clubs cut to fit his grandson Shayne and started teaching him how to golf at the age of 3. For years and years, any day he was off from work, Randy was on the golf course with Shayne. After retirement, Randy and Linda moved to California, where he fulfilled a life long dream of golfing with Shayne at Pebble Beach and the two attended the US Open there in 2019.
Like his father, Randy was a die-hard fan of the Denver Broncos. He never missed watching a game, even during the years when the team was not good. He made a trip to see his team with Shayne and his son-in-law Derick, where they sat right behind the Bronco’s bench. Randy must have brought his team luck with that trip, as that was the last year the Broncos won the Super Bowl.
Randy was preceded in death by his loving parents Keith and Erma Burke, and many dear aunts, uncles, and cousins. He is survived by his sweetheart Linda, their daughters Nickola and Candas (Derick); nine beautiful grandchildren, Shayne, Erika, Lakota, Jaydn, Tyanne, Brenon, Brailey, Alysa, and Connor; six great grandchildren; and his big brother Keith “Buddy” (Maryann).
His family will honor him with a small, private service as Randy always wanted to keep things sweet and simple. As he would say, “Peace Out”!