Joseph Burke Jr., 63; was communications lobbyist
Joseph F. Burke Jr. was a lobbyist for the telephone company, a familiar face in the State House in Boston and the Capitol in Washington, D.C, where he looked after the legislative interests of New England Telephone, NYNEX, and
"He was not a stereotypical lobbyist," former Massachusetts representative Marty Meehan, now chancellor of the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, said yesterday. "He was a man who cared deeply about those he came in contact with. He was a people person."
Mr. Burke, 63, who died Oct. 31 in Addison Gilbert Hospital in Gloucester, was influential in the passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, the first major overhaul of telecommunications law in almost 62 years.
"He dealt with complex issues and sometimes had to bring new staff members up to speed, but he always told all sides of an issue," Kevin Ryan, chief of staff for US Representative Stephen F. Lynch, said yesterday. "He was not just a business contact. . . . He was someone you could trust."
Mr. Burke was born in Beverly and educated in the public schools. After serving in the US Marine Corps he graduated from Saint Anselm College and earned a master's degree in business administration at Babson College.
James F.X. Doherty, a Boston lawyer who knew Mr. Burke well, said: "Joe was not one of those political fix-it guys; rather he was a master at building and maintaining relationships.
"Although he traveled in powerful circles of senators and congressmen, governors and mayors, he was never full of himself," Doherty said. "He was one of those people who always remembered from where he came. Although he lived in Wenham for many years before moving to Gloucester, he would always be proud to proclaim that he was from Beverly."
Doherty said Mr. Burke believed politics to be an honorable profession and had great admiration and affection for those who practiced it well.
"He referred to many members of Congress simply by their first names," he said. "For Joe, it was commonplace to make reference to the likes of Congressmen Frank, Markey, and Neal, all of Massachusetts, as Barney, Eddie, and Richie. He didn't do it to impress people with his familiarity; rather he embraced these relationships with public officials in the same way a true friend would take pride in the successes of those around them. In a profession that fosters cynicism, Joe always remained positive and upbeat."
After retiring in 2001, Mr. Burke was a consultant to several companies, including ISO-New England.
"Joe's first priority was people," said Carolyn O'Connor, director of external affairs for ISO-New England. "Whether an elected official or office receptionist, everyone's point of view and situation in life mattered to him, and he went out of his way to offer his kindness, advice, and solutions."
"He was always focused on the team, not on any personal aggrandizement," Doherty said. "He was someone you always wanted on your team, the quintessential good guy."
Mr. Burke leaves his wife, Renee (LeBlanc); a daughter, Kathleen of Beverly; a son, Kenneth F. of Danvers; and a sister, Kathleen Burke of Connecticut.
