George K. Burke, Sr.

George K. Burke, Sr., 80, passed away peacefully on July 5th at home, surrounded by his family, after a two year battle with colon cancer. He was the loving husband of Concetta Ronca Burke. They were married on Oct. 14, 1950, nearly 57 years ago. Born in Philadelphia on March 9, 1927, he was orphaned at a very young age. He was raised in Towanda, PA by his aunts and cousins. He joined the Navy in 1945, and graduated from Penn State in 1950 with a degree in Bio-Chemistry. After working for Johnson and Johnson, the R.K. Laros Company, he founded Burron Medical Products in 1956. As one of the early pioneers in plastic medical devices, he developed and patented the first disposable syringe. After a devastating fire destroyed the Burron facility in 1974, he insisted on rebuilding the company so that the 200 or so employees would be able to keep their jobs. Today, Burron Medical Products is B. Braun Medical, employing over 2000 people in the Lehigh Valley. Although his first love was his family and the employees with whom he worked, he was also very active in the community. He was a past President of the Bethlehem Area Chamber of Commerce, President of the Homemakers Association, Chairman of the Bethlehem Parking Authority, and Chairman of the Christmas City Committee in which he was responsible for changing the city?s Christmas lights from colored to white lights, as they still remain today. As an avid golfer, he was a very active member of Saucon Valley Country Club since 1964.

Survivors: Wife; three sons, George Jr. and his wife Debbie of Bethlehem, Scott and his wife Ellen of Denver, and Dave and his wife Amy of West Palm Beach; daughter Nancy of Topeka; eight grandchildren, George III, Jenna, Kelly, Kristen, Jessie, Connor, Ryan, and Matthew. He is also survived by a sister Lorraine Hurth of Lansing, Michigan.

Services: Mass of Christian Burial, 10AM Tuesday, Assumption BVM, 4101 Old Bethlehem Pike, Bethlehem, 18015. Burial immediately following at Holy Saviour Cemetery, Bethlehem. Call 5PM to 9PM Monday at Connell Funeral Home, 245 East Broad St., Bethlehem.

Contributions: In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Assumption BVM Church for under-privileged families of the parish.