John J. Burke of Peabody, known as Jack, died on Wednesday, November 4, 2026 at the Greenwood Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Wakefield. He was 94 and formerly lived in Lynn.
He was born and raised in Lynn, the son of John and Catherine (Greeley) Burke, and graduated from St. Mary’s High School there before earning his degree magna cum laude from Boston College. He spoke several languages, which his family puts down to a curious mind and a liking for other cultures. In the Army he was assigned to the intelligence section in Washington, D.C., working with the National Security Agency in the last years of the Korean War and the first years of the Cold War.
His working life was spent at Raytheon, where he was a technical writer for more than 30 years until he retired. He kept Boston College football season tickets for years, traveled widely and was especially fond of Dennis Port on Cape Cod and Naples, Florida.
He leaves his brothers James M. Burke and his wife Bridget, and Francis X. Burke and his wife Margaret, all of Peabody; his sister Mary Teresa McDonough of Peabody; 11 nieces and nephews and 18 great-nieces and great-nephews. His brother-in-law Thomas McDonough and his nephew James P. Burke died before him.
Visitation is Tuesday, November 10, 2026 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the Conway, Cahill-Brodeur Funeral Home, 82 Lynn Street, Peabody, followed by a funeral Mass at noon at St. Adelaide’s Church, 708 Lowell Street, Peabody. Burial is at St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Lynn. In place of flowers, contributions may be made in his memory to Brighton Hospice, 1234 Chestnut Street, Suite 101, Newton, MA 02464.
Compiled from information published by Conway, Cahill-Brodeur Funeral Home, 82 Lynn Street, Peabody, (978) 531-0472. Photograph courtesy of the family via Conway, Cahill-Brodeur Funeral Home. This is our own summary, not the family’s obituary; read the full obituary and leave a condolence at the funeral home’s page on Legacy.com. Corrections: we will fix any error promptly.
