Michael R. Burke

Michael R. Burke, 70, of Waterloo, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2025, following a war with cancer.
Visitation: Family will receive friends from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., with sharing time at 6:30, on Monday, January 20, 2025, at Locke at Tower Park, 4140 Kimball Ave, Waterloo.
Private graveside services will be held at a later date.
Mike was born on April 26, 1954, to Ronald E. and Martha V. (McDougall) Burke in Akron. He graduated from Westfield High School in 1972 and the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy in 1977. Mike married Debra Crosgrove on Aug. 19, 1978, in Elk Point, S.D. The two relocated to Dysart, shortly thereafter.
From 1978 until 1986, Mike served as Assistant Chief of Police for the Dysart Police Department and went on to serve as the Chief of Police for Reinbeck, Guttenberg, and Evansdale Police Departments from 1987 until 2006. In Guttenberg, he was instrumental in the establishment of the Fire Rescue Service within the Ambulance Service and served as chief of the unit, which saved the lives of many auto accident victims. As Evansdale Chief, he sat on BlackHawk County emergency management boards and was an EMS instructor at Hawkeye Community College, where he found joy guiding future generations. He would earn his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, attending part time at Bellevue University while working. He transitioned to the private sector and worked in Security Leadership roles for Meskwaki and Winnevegas Casinos from 2009-2018. In his down time, he enjoyed building anything and tinkering with computer technology and electronics, loved his dogs, and cherished his time spent with family, especially his grandchildren.
Mike will be long remembered as a firm, but fair leader who made work fun—a charismatic family man with a soft heart and a thirst for laughter who could find common ground with anyone willing to talk long enough. He is preceded in death by his parents and his first shih tzu, Wheeler.
Mike is survived by his wife, Deb of Waterloo; sons, Justin (Molly) of Madison, Wis., Corey (Kristin) Vande Zandschulp of Portland, Ore., and Aaron (Ashlee) Burke of Dallas, Texas; six grandchildren, Jackson, Carson, Zoe, William, Zack, and Sloan; sister, Patricia Parnell, numerous nieces and nephews, and his beloved shih tzu, Bear.
Locke at Tower Park is serving the family. Please visit lockefuneralservices.com to offer your condolences.