Andrew C. Bourke, Sr.

Andrew C. Bourke, Sr., 95, member of “Greatest Generation”
Andrew C. Bourke of Somerville, NJ passed away peacefully at Morris View Health Center in Morris Plains, NJ, on May 11. He was 95.
“Andy” was born on August 2, 1924 and grew up in Somerville, where as a boy he was an altar server at Church of the Immaculate Conception, was active in Boy Scouts, and participated in the school music program as a drummer. He graduated from Somerville High School with the class of 1941. During World War II, he served in the First Air Force of the U.S. Army Air Forces as a crew chief of P-47 Thunderbolt fighter planes in a combat crew training station. As the war drew to a close in Europe, his unit was involved in a redeployment exercise, receiving heavy bombers from Europe and preparing them for shipment to the west coast and further service in the Pacific Theatre of Operations. For this effort, the unit received a Presidential Citation.
After the war he attended Rider College, earning a Bachelor of Arts Degree in secondary education in 1950. Shortly after graduation, Andy moved to Wappingers Falls, NY where he began his teaching career at Wappingers Central High School. It was in this new hometown that he met the love of his life, Regina Lyons, and they were married at St. Mary’s Church in Wappingers Falls on January 19, 1952. Their marriage would last 61 beautiful years. They had three children: Andy Jr., Ann Marie, and Jim.
While teaching, Andy attended New York University in the evenings, earning his MBA with a focus in Public School Administration. He was employed in that capacity in several New York State public school districts, returning to New Jersey in 1980 to complete his career as Business Administrator of Pequannock Township public schools in Morris County. Active in various education associations throughout his career, Andy was president of the New York State Association of School Business Officials during the school year 1969-70. He retired from his 37-year career in education in 1987.
Interested and active in community affairs, he had been a member of the West End Hose Company of the Somerville Fire Department since 1946, one of the first two men to join the company after the war. He was a line officer in the late 1940s and early 1950s, and was elected treasurer of the company in the early 1980’s, a position he held for more than ten years. With a continuing interest in public education, Andy became a member of the Somerville Board of Education in the early 1990s. Twice elected president of the board, he was active in the planning process for several facilities’ improvement and expansion programs at that time. He was a member of the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Somerville, where he served as an usher for more than 35 years, and also was a member of theparish finance council. After retiring from his career in education in 1987, he served as an assistant funeral director at the Cusick and Hillsborough funeral homes for more than 20 years. He was active in the Somerville Elks Lodge, and alsoparticipated in several parade bands as a bass drummer.
In 2018, he moved to the New Jersey Firemen’s Home in Boonton, where he was in the company of other esteemed firefighters. One of his greatest joys during retirement was spending time with his grandchildren, both of whom are involved with scouting; he was especially proud to see his grandson, Matthew, earn the rank of Eagle Scout in 2019.
Andy is survived by his son, Andrew C. Bourke, Jr. and his wife Diane of Oro Valley, AZ; son James Bourke, his wife Claudia, and grandchildren Matthew and Catherine, all of Manhattan; sister Gertrude Bourke Rizzi and husband Louis Rizzi of Sarasota, FL; brother-in-law John Lyons and wife Olive of Wappingers Falls, NY; generations of nieces and nephews, and countless good friends. He was predeceased by his wife, Regina; his daughter, Ann Marie; and his brother, Francis X. Bourke. He will be remembered for his kindness and his commitment to community service, his love of family and being around people, and his pride in his hometown of Somerville.
Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Cusick Funeral Home, 80 Mountain Avenue, Somerville. A private burial service will take place on May 18 at St. Bernard’s Roman Catholic Cemetery in Bridgewater. There will be a memorial Mass followed by a celebration of his life at a later date, to be determined. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Boy Scouts of America, Greater New York Councils, (https://nycscouting.org/cause/acbcommemoration/; or to the New Jersey Firemen’s Home (https://www.njfh.org/).