Samuel "Bill" Burks
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Samuel Victor Burks, Jr. passed away on February 21, 2022. He was surrounded by the loving care of family as he entered the eternal presence of our Lord and Savior.
In the span of 99 years, great men often acquire multiple names reflecting the facets of their experience and influence. Born on October 20, 1922 in Poteet, Texas, he was first known as "Billy" to his parents, Samuel Victor Burks, Sr. (Bill) and Alice Elizabeth Barnett, and his sister, Mary Alice Burks, who was born in 1919 and died of bulbar polio in 1927. Billy was well liked around town and, because of his good name, was allowed by her father to take Miss Strelsa Hearn out on the first of many dates. She was 13 1/2 at the time.
At the age of 16, Billy left home to join the Corps of Cadets and study Chemical Engineering at Texas A&M. He became "Sam" in the Corps and upon graduation in January 1943, he served as an officer in the Army's Chemical Warfare division. He was stationed in New York harbor to oversee munitions as they were loaded onto ships for transport to combat zones. Sam and Strelsa were married on June 24, 1944 and lived in New York City, where she attended Julliard. After the war, he served in the Army Reserves for 25 years and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel.
He was "Daddy" to three devoted daughters - Tory [Bob], Betty and Peggy [Jackie] and "PawPaw" to his five adoring grandchildren, their spouses and ten great grandchildren. He was "Mr. Burks" throughout his career as a Systems Engineer for PPG and Sam to his many loyal friends at Onion Creek Club, where he played golf several times a week for more than 30 years. "The woods are full of long hitters," he would say, believing that slow and steady is the best approach, in golf and in life. With a cane in one hand and a golf club in the other, he 'shot his age' or better numerous times and mowed the lawn with his riding mower for fun. In his last few days at the hospital, he was known simply as the "Colonel" by the doctors and nurses who cared for him. He was respected for his wisdom and kindness, appreciated for his generosity, and best known for his unconditional love of family and friends.
Services will be held Sunday, February 27 at 2:00 pm at Hurley Funeral Home in Pleasanton, Texas with burial following in Rutledge Cemetery, Poteet, Texas. In lieu of flowers the family requests any donations to First Tee Greater Austin or an education-focused charity of your choice.