David Kobbeman Burke

David Kobbeman Burke

David Kobbeman Burke died at home in Palmer, Alaska on January 20, 2022.

Known to his friends as the General of Adventure, he was always planning the next wilderness trip, scheming the best way to eat apple pie hot (warmed on the muffler of the snow machine) or how to maximize the number of fish who would swim into his net while dipnetting. Invariably, the unexpected would happen and often the exploit turned more adventurous than planned.

Born May 21, 1951 in Sterling, IL, the son of Lawrence E. and Helen (Kobbeman) Burke, he graduated from Woodlawn Grade School and Newman Central Catholic High School in Sterling in 1969. He attended the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana and moved to Alaska in 1980 seeking the outdoor adventures many Midwesterners dream of.

Dave loved a project, and had every tool needed for woodworking and carpentry, engine repair, welding and bending pipes for race cars, and weatherization (his career at AK Community Development Corp.). He loved listening to music, dabbled in sound engineering for friends’ bands as a young man, and delighted in hearing his daughter play violin. He obtained his private pilot’s license in 1988. He would always go for a strawberry milkshake, and happily drove long distances for a piece of lemon meringue or cherry pie.

Dave always dreamed of racing cars, so in the 2000’s he devoted summer weekends to dirt track racing at Capital Speedway in Willow. He raced his ’79 and ‘80 Toyota Celica’s on dirt, ice and asphalt, and he drove his ’82 Toyota Celica daily until the end of his life.

His beloved white Labrador Elsie was his copilot. She accompanied him everywhere, from the local drive thru for her daily ice cream in a cup (which she “never” spilled), to the southwest, where she protected him from approaching strangers. Her 8 pups were each cherished by their new owners, and he was always proud to receive word and photos of his grand-pups hunting, hiking, or just being wonderful family dogs.

Dave rediscovered the importance of religion in his life when he tragically lost a young puppy and sought relief and meaning in life. This search led him to the LDS church where he met many wonderful new friends and opened his heart to God’s love, forgiveness, and message of hope in the last few years of his life.

Dave lived to drive, excelled at problem solving, prided himself on making good deals on old cars, and cherished being a dad and grandpa. From the time he shot the TV screen with his BB gun (helping out the Lone Ranger) to the time he shot a prowling bear on his deck in Eagle River, Alaska, his life was full of adventures.

Although Dave earned a lifetime of memories in his 70 years, those who knew him know it was too soon to lose him. Dave didn’t take up a lot of room, but he had a huge impact on those who loved him. His presence on earth will be greatly missed.

Survivors include daughter, Anna (Joe) Dugan of Anchorage, Alaska; granddaughters, Madeline and Hailey; sisters, Mary Kathleen (John) Knowles, Marta Vasquez, Jean (George) Ransom and Barbara (Joe) Hermes; former spouse, Betty Ann (Hopkins) Burke; several nieces, nephews and cousins; and his “ride or die”, Elsie Supra Snowdrift.

A memorial service will be held at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Palmer on May 14, 2022 at 1:30 pm, followed by a scattering of the ashes for family and close friends at Rabbit Slough.