Sharon Mae Burke

Sharon Mae McClurg Burke passed away peacefully at home at the age of 84, Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in Sun City, California.

Sharon was born April 17, 1940, in Omaha, Nebraska, to JW McClurg and Mae Jo Horgan. Her mother’s family was from County Kerry in Ireland and Sharon was always very proud of her Irish heritage. She grew up in Evansville, Indiana, and spent her summers at their family cottage on Lake Okoboji, Iowa. She graduated from Reitz Memorial High School in 1958, attended Loretto Heights College in Colorado and later earned her A.A. degree at Mt. San Antonio College in California.

She married Patrick Burke on Dec. 31, 1960, and relocated to California in 1964 with their two children, Robin and PJ. They raised their family in Diamond Bar and Upland, California. She volunteered at San Antonio Community Hospital in Upland and worked at General Dynamics in Pomona, California, where she met her current husband, Wayne. Together they lived in Las Vegas, Northern California, Oregon and, most recently, Sun City.

Throughout the years she remained in close contact with many of her friends from Evansville. Sharon was a beautiful, generous and thoughtful person. She was a devout Catholic and had a great love for Jesus and all his angels. She was always singing and laughing and had a wonderful sense of humor, likely inherited from her dad. She enjoyed reading, games, old movies, camping, boating and a good mystery. She was active in many social clubs and played bridge. She had a special love for all her animals and taught us how wonderful the love from pets can be. We know she is with all of them now.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her brother Jack McClurg, her ex-husband Pat Burke and several aunts, uncles, cousins as well as many beloved pets.

She is survived by her husband of many years, Wayne Shuey, who remained by her side until the end. She leaves behind her children, Robin (Chris) Calligan, of Carlsbad, California, and Pat Burke (Tinker Leanne) of Elk City, Oklahoma; seven grandchildren, Kelly and Sean Calligan, Erin (Garrett) Calligan Ott, Stephanie (Joseph) Burke Dunn, Brittany (Randy) Burke Young, Samantha Burke, Brianna (Eric) Burke Marrs; seven great grandchildren, her sister-in-law Kate (Jim) Burke Benedict of Charlottesville, Virginia, niece and nephew Lesley and Gavin McClurg, cousins Tom Horgan, Terry, Nancy and Suzanne Sammin, Sybil Norton. And of course, her beloved kitties, Little One, Socks, Bootsie and Mickey.

There will be a memorial service in October at Evans-Brown Mortuary in Menifee, California. Her ashes will be placed at Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, California. At her request, some of her ashes will be spread at Lake Okoboji.