William Welton Burke, 92, of Madison County, died Saturday, April 1, 2017.

Mr. Burke was the son of the late Welton Edward Burke and Laura Virginia Simpson Burke. He was married for 66 years to Evelyn Fosnight Burke.

Mr. Burke was born June 10, 1924, in “the Fork,” Warren County, Virginia. A graduate of Warren County High School, he was a member of the Corps of Cadets at Virginia Polytechnic Institute, where he received a degree in business administration. He served in Italy as a member of the United States Army from 1943-1945 and was awarded a Purple Heart.

Mr. Burke was employed by the Culpeper County Health Department for many years, retiring in 1987. Entrepreneurial by nature, he was also a well-respected local businessman, owning the former Brown-Pulliam Insurance Agency as well as apartment buildings on Blue Ridge Avenue. He found his greatest joy on his farm in Madison County among his beloved Hereford cows and rolling Virginia landscape.

In addition to his wife, Mr. Burke is survived by his children, William W. Burke, Jr. (Nancy) of Mechanicsville, VA; Ann Burke Anderson (John) of Oxford, NC; and Thomas B. Burke of Culpeper; and two grandchildren, Dixon E. Moretz of New York, NY and Clare B. Moretz of San Diego, CA. A sister, Lou B. Sands and a brother, Ronald S. Burke, also survive him. He was predeceased by two sisters, Olga B. DuBey and Janet B. Berberian.

A graveside service will be held on Thursday, April 6, 2017, at 2:00 PM in Prospect Hill Cemetery in Front Royal.

Memorial contributions may be made to Madison County Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 868, Madison, VA 22727.