Sharon Jean Burke

HAMILTON - Sharon Jean Burke passed away the morning of Thursday, July 10, 2025, at her home in Hamilton due to complications from dementia. She was born Sharon Jean Johnson on November 22, 1942, to Wayne Everett Johnson and Jane Esther Johnson (Lindgren) in Los Angeles, California. A year later, her brother Kennith Wayne Johnson was born on November 24, 1943.

Sharon was raised in Van Nuys, CA. She graduated from Van Nuys High School and continued her education at Valley College for a business degree.

Sharon worked at Rocketdyne where she met her future husband, Terry Wayne Burke. They were both incredibly happy with the fact that they worked for a company that put Americans into space.

She married Terry on December 28,1963, in Los Angeles, CA. Their honeymoon was in Yosemite, CA.  On May 5, 1966, they had their 1st child, a daughter, Mary Joan (Marijo) and in 1969 their 2nd child, Todd Wayne.

When Sharon’s father returned home from Pearl Harbor after the war, he started his own business, Johnson Electric. Once Sharon graduated with her business degree, she worked part time for her father, while still working at Rocketdyne. Mom finally quit Rocketdyne and worked full time for Johnson Electric. When her father had a major heart attack, Terry took over running Johnson Electric until Sharon and Terry moved to Washoe Valley, NV.

Sharon had a love for horses. In 1973, she bought Baby (her beloved flaming red Saddlebred) and May (buckskin Appaloosa). We spent many weekends with the horses in the Hansen Dam area where we rode over sand dunes, through rivers, and on wonderful trails. There was even a burger joint where we could tie the horses up and enjoy a meal. Sharon’s other loves in life were camping, boating and fishing.

In 1977, Terry and Sharon moved their family to Washoe Valley, NV, 30 miles south of Reno, where they built a flourishing business, TW Burke Electric. We spent many weekends boating or enjoying Sand Harbor at Lake Tahoe. Terry and Sharon also enjoyed square dancing. They traveled all over going to square dancing conventions. They spent 35 years in Washoe Valley making a wonderful life there. Their daughter moved to England and their son became a pilot, which took him out of the country. In 2005, they decided to sell their home in Washoe Valley and spend the winters in Havasu Lake and summers in Montana.

Marijo moved back to the states in 2008 (Hamilton, MT) and Todd moved back to the states in 2014. He moved to Fort Mohave AZ, not far from her Havasu Lake home.

Terry died in 2016 from a strep infection that got into his blood stream and destroyed his Mitro and Aortic valves. Sharon was diagnosed with dementia in 2009. With each major event in Sharon’s life, dementia would take its toll, including the death of Terry and a major wildfire that was too close for comfort to her beloved home. In 2020, her daughter, Marijo, became Sharon’s full-time caregiver.

She is preceded in death by her father (Wayne Johnson), mother (Jane Johnson), her brother (Ken Johnson), and husband of 50 years (Terry Burke).

She is survived by her daughter, Marijo Delap, son, Todd Burke (Maria), and several nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be held Monday, July 21, 2025 from 9 until 11 am at the Daly-Leach Chapel with funeral services following at 11:00 am.  There will be a reception following the chapel services in the funeral home’s community room.  Burial will take place at Riverview Cemetery in Hamilton at 1:30 pm.  Condolences may be left for the family at www.dalyleachchapel.com.