Neal Kenneth Burke

Neal Kenneth Burke, 69 years of age, passed away Wednesday, October 2, 2013 at his home in Wray. Neal was born July 20, 1944 in Scottsbluff, NE to Lloyd Eugene and Eva S. (Roth) Taylor. Eva remarried and Neal was adopted by Gus V. Burke at a very young age.

He grew up in Greeley, Colorado and moved with his parents to Las Vegas, NV in 1961 where he graduated from high school in 1963.

After high school he landed back in Greeley where he enlisted in the Marines in September of 1965, during the Viet Nam War, spending two years of that time on the aircraft carrier USS Franklin D. Roosevelt, CVA42. He and Elaine Hill were married in Dec. of 1965. After his discharge from the Marines in 1969, he and Elaine moved to California with their daughter, Tracey. They separated and Neal moved around living in Florida, Phoenix, AZ, and Kansas City, MO. During this time he became a plastic fabricator. In 1995, he and a friend, Rodney Olivas, opened Accurate Acrylic Designs in Ventura, CA. They created very unique items, such as a vacuum chamber for NASA, items for Disney, display windows, display cases and holders for all types of things and just about anything someone would order. The business was sold in 2004 and Neal moved to Wray. He continued to take a few orders for the acrylic business, but was semi-retired.

Neal was very creative and meticulous and could make something out of almost anything. He was a master acrylic fabricator and could also take an old scrap of wood and make a beautiful picture frame or whatever he wanted. He also enjoyed woodworking, riding his Harley in the wilderness of California, the visits from his daughter and granddaughters after moving to Wray, Sunday night pizza with his mom.

Neal was preceded in death by his biological father, Lloyd Eugene Taylor, father, Gus Burke, and all of his aunts and uncles.

He is survived by his mother, Eva Burke of Wray, Colorado; daughter, Tracey (Dean) white and granddaughters, Kaylyn and Taylor, Ft. Collins; brother, Garry (Penny) Burke, Pahrump, NV; niece, Jana (Steve) Streelman, Carlsbad, CA; sister, Karan (Lanny) Harsh, Wray, CO and nieces Tereasa Harsh, Aurora, CO; Cori Harsh, Papillion, NE; Tobi (ron) deFrates, San Diego, CA; nephew, J.R. (Kristi) Harsh, Greeley, CO; good friend, Rodney Olivas, Wray, CO, and grand nieces and nephews.

Memorial services were held on Monday, October 14, 2013 at 1:00 p.m. with Rev. Norman Stott officiating.  Inurnment was held in the Grandview Cemetery in Wray, Colorado. Spellman-Schmidt Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.