Rita M. Burk

BURK, Rita M., age 93, of Centerville, passed away Wednesday, August 14, 2024. Rita was born May 18, 1931, in Springfield, OH; daughter of the late Joseph and Lucy (Scanlon) Clayton.

She graduated from Springfield Catholic Central High School and the Good Samaritan Hospital School of Nursing. Rita earned her Bachelor’s degree at Antioch College of Yellow Springs, and obtained her Master’s degree in Education from the University of Dayton. 

Rita dedicated over 50 years of service in nursing to helping others before retiring in 2003. Among her many roles in medicine, she was Head Nurse at Mercy Medical Center in Springfield. Rita was always very active. She loved to garden, walk her labradoodles, and walked half marathons until she was 85. She also loved to read, play Euchre, and was very involved in her grandchildren’s lives. Rita was known as being very generous and spiritual with a mischievous sense of humor. 

Along with her parents, Rita is preceded in death by her husband, Robert “Gene” Sr.; grandchildren, Travis and Tyler Hamilton; sisters, Mary Ann Beach and Joan Clayton; and brother, Jim Clayton. Left to cherish her memory are her children, Gene (Juli) Burk Jr., Sue (Paul) Hamilton, Teresa (Nick) Weiser, Joan (Paul) Cardone, Jim (Helen Panos) Burk, Christine Burk, and Julie Burk; grandchildren, Kate (Rachael Hintze) Burk, Emily (Jean) dos Santos, William Burk, Erin (Brad) Hess, Walker (Kennedy) Hamilton, Chris (Allison) Weiser, Steven Weiser, Katy Weiser, Kyle Cardone, Tanner Cardone, Maggie Burk, and Alyssa Burk; great grandchildren, Matthew, J.J., Olivia, Hailey, Hallie, Blake, Bowen, Wyatt, Noah, Finn, and Ripley; as well as numerous nieces and nephews. 

A memorial service will be held Wednesday, August 21, 2024, at 11:00AM at Routsong Funeral Home, 2100 E. Stroop Road, Kettering, OH 45429. Family and friends may visit from 9:00AM until the time of service. Rita will be laid to rest at Calvary Cemetery-Dayton. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a charity of your choice to honor Rita.