Jacqueline “Jackie” Louise Burke, 79, of Savage, passed away on December 30, 2022. Services will be held at Shepherd of the Lake Lutheran Church in Prior Lake, Minnesota on Tuesday, February 21 st . Visitation begins at 9:30 and the service will start at 11:00 a.m.
On March 11, 1943, Matthew L. and Edna K. Rauh were blessed with the birth of their daughter, Jacqueline Louse Marie Rauh. Jackie was a brilliantly blue-eyed, intelligent and adventurous young girl growing up in Minneapolis, Minnesota who enjoyed ice skating and spending time with her friends around the Minneapolis lakes. Jackie initially attended Catholic schools, and later graduated from Minneapolis Roosevelt High School.
She met her husband Richard Francis Burke at age 16, while he was stationed at the (then) Minneapolis Air Force Base. Their introduction at a car wash led to a dare by Jackie for Richard to meet Jackie and her troupe at church the next morning. Richard and his fellow servicemen surprised the young ladies by appearing at the church in their military uniforms. And with that, Richard and Jackie’s journey began. They were married at ages 17 and 19 in 1960, bringing their children Richard and Brenda into the world between 1963 and 1965.
In her early years, Jackie worked at a bank, and was a telephone operator for Southern Bell in Wilmington, SC. She later worked as an ambulance dispatch operator for the hospital in Kearney, NE and then turned her focus to her family.
Their first home was bought on Louisiana Avenue in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. From there, Richard’s career took them on several relocations across the country, so Jackie focused on supporting her family through all their moves and adjustments. Her slogan was, “Your father’s job is to become a millionaire. My job is to keep him out of jail in the process.” (We’ll let you ponder which prophecies, if either, were fulfilled and the stories behind them.)
Jackie supported her family through all their transitions and made lifelong friends across the country with her contagious laughter and smile. Whether PTA meetings, joining field trips, or helping with projects, she loved watching her children grow and supported them in every venture, activity, sporting event or school performance. She loved teaching the card game of Bridge and held classes in the communities they moved to, as a way to get acquainted with the community.
Jackie was her family’s greatest fan and nonstop cheerleader in all their ventures, later chaperoning dances and events. Not in the traditional sense – Richard and Jackie also arrived in full costume, whatever the theme, teaching college students how to jitterbug – and afterward, their house was the place to be with dozens of late-night scrambled eggs and French toast for the group afterward.
Jackie enjoyed crafting with stamps, hosting card parties, entertaining over the years and setting a gorgeous table for the holidays. She loved network cooking shows like the Pioneer Woman and made the most amazing scratch blueberry muffins found anywhere. Jackie always dressed in style and carried herself with a fun-loving air of grace, dignity, and often spoke about how “joyful” something was. or looked. One of her favorite words of wisdom was, “Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should,” which applies to truly anything in life. Jackie loved and supported her family fiercely and was ‘adopted’ by many who had lost their mothers or valued her as their second mom. She had a way of lifting anyone’s spirits, effortlessly instilling confidence in those around her, while selflessly helping others even when she herself faced challenges.
The outpouring after her passing has been beyond what we could have fathomed, with consistent references to light, such as: “She was such a ray of light,” or “brightened everyone’s day,” or “she always brightened the room wherever she went.” Jackie had a way of making everyone around her feel welcome and cared about. Jackie… you lived among us as an angel in the shape of a wife, mother, grandmother, sister, cousin, relative and friend to so many… and have left a very witty, loving and joyful impression on us all. We miss you terribly, yet we know you are smiling down upon us. Your unending love and guidance has gifted us all with a greater personal strength, wisdom, confidence and sense of kindness. We are all enriched for having been loved by you.
The family extends our deepest gratitude to the ICU nurses and physicians at Fairview Ridges hospital who fought alongside her with dedication and loving care; her surgeons and physicians at Methodist Hospital; and the Fresenius dialysis team located within St, Francis Hospital in Shakopee, MN who cheered Jackie on and provided her with life-saving services for the last few years. We also want to thank the many healthcare providers at the Rochester Mayo Clinic, markedly Dr. Robert Wermers and his cheerful endocrinology team (including Marnie and Mardi). Their innovative care which, when combined with God’s grace, saw Jackie through many more years’ time with us all.
Jackie is survived by her husband, Richard F. Burke; brother, Mathew L. Rauh IV (Kathy); son Richard P. Burke (Natasha); daughter, Brenda R. Beach; grandson Adam M. Beach (Rebecca), granddaughter Anastasia Yuskina (Sami Hales), several cousins, nephews and a great niece. She is preceded in death by her parents, Edna K. Rauh and Mathew L. Rauh III, and several aunts and uncles.
