It is with profound sadness that we share that Steven Norman Burke died suddenly of natural causes on April 8th, 2024, in his home with his beloved dogs. Steven leaves behind his daughters Alana Burke (Alex Laidlaw) and Sarah Barbalat (Eitan), grandchildren Caleb, Jack, Miles and Jude, brother Harold Burke, brother Ron Burke (Debra Gellman), sister Marnie Burke (Sam Damiani), nephews and nieces Sean Burke (Marla Samuel), Jeremy Burke (Alison), Kezia Burke (Cameron Sullivan), Gabriel Burke (Ciara Pendrith), Seth Damiani and Noah Damiani and all of his great-nephews and great-nieces. He also leaves behind his much-loved brood of dogs Freddy, Rusty, Milly, Snuggles, Iggy, Riley and Jason. He is predeceased by his wife Susan Burke (nee Cooper), father Solomon Burke, mother Pauline Burke (nee Wexler) and sister-in-law Jane Cooper. He will be dearly missed by his entire extended family and friends.

Steven was born on May 15, 1950 in Toronto, Ontario where he lived his whole life. He worked in marketing and consumer promotions for many years, eventually branching out on his own and becoming an entrepreneur and working in several different businesses.

He met Susan (or “Suzie” as he called her) in Toronto through work, and they were married on May 14, 1983. Alana was born in 1984, followed by Sarah in 1988. He was the ultimate “fun dad”, playing silly games and singing songs with his girls, while never passing up an opportunity to embarrass them in public. He always tried to give his family the best of everything—he loved giving gifts and taking his girls on trips and adventures. He always supported Alana in her horseback riding and Sarah in her skating, trying (usually successfully) to rein in his competitive nature. He had a wicked sense of humour and loved making people laugh, and many of Alana and Sarah’s friends have fond memories of spending time with him at his house on Franklin Street, at The Irwin Inn in the summers and while driving too fast in his car. Stevie loved his family and close friends. He wasn’t the social butterfly that Suzie was, but he maintained the relationships that were important to him, never missing the chance to wish someone a Happy Birthday or tell them that he loved them.

He also loved animals, supporting Suzie with her dog rescue, UDR Canada Rescue, and always agreeing to take in the “special cases”—dogs that would otherwise be hard to find homes for. That is how he ended up with eight dogs, and when Suzie died suddenly in 2022, he kept them all and continued to take great care of them despite struggling with his health and mobility. He loved them dearly and we know they brought him a lot of comfort after her passing. He continued to feed all of the wildlife that came to his property, keeping up with the work that Suzie did before she died, and he was always the first person to donate to any charity, especially ones that helped animals.

His first grandson, Caleb, was born in 2019, and in his final years he relished the role of Zaidie. He was absolutely enamoured with all of his grandsons, and they loved him just as much. He never missed an opportunity to spoil them, bringing them toys, books, games and treats (some of which were decidedly not age appropriate, but something he thought they would love), despite the protestations of their parents. He loved looking at pictures of them and spoke constantly about how smart, sweet and special they were. He brought a toy car for Caleb every time he saw him, and whenever he was around, Jude would immediately start climbing on him to demand that he make his signature funny faces and sounds. Jack and Miles would run to the door and greet him with squeals and hugs whenever he came to visit, and loved sitting on his lap to read books or look at the instruction manuals for the various toys he brought them.

In addition to being a devoted husband, father, Zaidie and dog dad, he was grumpy, sarcastic, stubborn and opinionated. He always preferred staying home over going out, but was always there to help a family member, friend or animal who needed him. His sense of humour and knowing, sly smile will be missed by everyone who knew him.

A funeral will be held on Thursday, April 11th at Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Centre (375 Mt. Pleasant Road, Toronto, ON, M4T 2V8). Guests can begin arriving at 10am, and the service will begin at 11am. We will be sitting Shiva at Sarah and Eitan’s home on Thursday, April 11th from 1-6pm and on Sunday, April 14th from 9am-12pm and 4-7pm (please contact a family member for the address).

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to UDR Canada Rescue (https://udrcanada.ca/donate/) or the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (https://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/).