Janie L Burke

Born: July 8, 1946

Passed: March 11, 2023

Born in San Francisco in 1946 to Edward and Laura Slater. Janie was married to John Burke in 1967, the two divorced after roughly 10 years of marriage. Janie was preceded in death by John in 2022.

Janie had a long-lasting, loving relationship with David Paine. David, John and Janie raised the children together. David would frequently write letters to Janie letting her know that she was loved and not forgotten after they moved away from one another.

Janie was an avid reader from an early age, she learned from books and was able to do anything she decided to make a reality. A figure skater in her youth, she enjoyed singing in choir and she was always outspoken and intelligent. Later in life, she enjoyed puzzles, cooking and canning, she knitted and crocheted and she took long walks with her cats. She was eccentric, unconventional and talkative but also kind, loving and loyal.

Janie’s eccentric non-conformism stood out less in 1960s San Francisco than it would have in a different time or place. After moving north to Eureka, California, Janie became a skilled carpenter. Despite her qualifications and talent no employer would hire her. They told her to stay home with her kids. She eventually got a job at a lumber mill instead. She was the first woman employed there.

Janie took good care of her children despite the difficulties in her own life. She taught her children to trust their instincts, to be honest, to value differences and enjoy learning. Janie took her children to local plays and to museums and she imparted culture and different points of view to them.

In the mid-90s, Janie spent nearly 20 years roaming the United States in her fifth-wheel until finally settling in southern Oregon to retire from travel life. Janie, better known in the park as “Purple” or “The Purple Lady”, moved into Timber Valley in February of 2012 and left the park June 2020. She was well known for her love of the color purple and for her cat, Fang, whom she walked with using a leash. She gained many friends at the SKP park.

Janie is survived by her brother Leland Slater (Cindy); her daughter Danielle Olson (James); her son Aaron Burke (Katie); her grandchildren Alaina Olson, Chris Tikun-Olson (Mercedes), Alex Olson, Matt Burke, and Vivien Burke; and her great-grandchildren Amara Burke and Theo Tikun-Olson.

Janie was laid to rest at Valley View cemetery in OR on March 17, 2023.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.kapalaglodekmalone.com for the Burke family.