"Traigc, untimely passing" leaves a significant legacy

A NOTICE in memory of a man who died almost 47 years ago intrigued readers of the personal columns on the back page of this newspaper yesterday.

Remembered "with love and respect by his friends" Mr John W. Burke, who was 51 at his death in July 1949, had been principal at Our Lady of Good Counsel senior boys school Drimnagh, Dublin, from 1948. It was noted that his "tragic and untimely passing is now understood".

Mr Burke died of a heart attack. He had married for the second time about nine months previously. His first wife had died in 1947. They had no children. His second wife was a widow, who had two young sons.

A teacher by profession, she had to give up her job on getting married (the first time), as was the regulation then. On Mr Burke's death, a priest who was a good friend and had been his former spiritual director at St Patrick's teacher training college in Drumcondra, secured Mrs Burke a teaching post at a school in his parish on Dublin's north side.

"On reflection, over time, we understand he had to be there. Despite the tragedy of his death, he left a significant legacy in that his wife would not have got that teaching job otherwise", said a friend who wished to remain anonymous. Without it his widow's fate, and that of her children, could have been so much worse.

It had been considered many times before that Mr Burke "deserved a memory, a token". So they "just did it". Hence yesterday's notice.