Jackie Burke

November 28, 1943 - August 24, 2017

Jackie Burke passed away on August 24, 2017, at Rosewood Courte in Edmonds, Washington, after a long and dehumanizing ordeal of living with Alzheimer's Disease.

She was born in Dallas, Texas, but soon moved with her family to Seattle Washington. After graduating from Ballard High School, Jackie attended the University of Washington where she majored in Business and Theater - quite a combination. She paid her way through college doing night club singing and acting.

Following college, Jackie continued her theater career while working at various small businesses where she contributed creative business solutions and learned the basics of running a business. In the mid-1970's she founded her own firm, Masterpress, Inc. Masterpress was not an ink-on-paper printing company. It specialized in nameplates and labels for manufacturing companies. Jackie created a labeling system for General Electric that identified all the various sections of the Alaska Oil Pipeline. She created an inventory labeling system for the U.S. Forest Service to track the survival rate of trees planted as part of reforestation. That system had to resist all climate changes as well as hungry deer that came to feast on the saplings. Her creativity was not limited to printing systems. She held drama classes at the Masterpress facility in the after-hours and continued to star in local theater productions. Her specialty being musical comedy.

After 14 successful years at Masterpress, Jackie and with Dea Holt founded Barcodes West, Inc. She rejected focus on retail systems such as grocery store check-out. Jackie once again looked to the creative side of this technology. Her knowledge of inventory systems led to a complete barcode inventory system for the U.S. Navy tracking everything from weapons to food. A payroll data collection system was devised for Nordstrom, Inc. Meanwhile Jackie moved on to directing plays for local Seattle area theaters.

Never losing her ability to innovate, Jackie then partnered with Dea Holt and Kathy Alley to found 01 Publishing, Inc. 01 worked in the world of creative computer publishing and design creating websites, technical publications, and translating software created in English to foreign languages so that the software could be marketed in foreign countries. Clients included such companies as Microsoft, Toshiba, and K/P Corp. Jackie retired from 01 Publishing and moved on to a richly deserved retirement.

At this point in her personal life she withdrew from theater and focused on environmental conservation working many years water testing and monitoring salmon runs. She was also ready for travel and ventured to Central America, Europe and then Africa. Jackie was deeply impacted by the slaughter of African elephants for their ivory and responded by contributing time and energy to Elephant recovery programs.

Jackie was an extraordinary person. Jackie was a compassionate and impassioned employer, protector of animals and faithful friend. If able, she would extend her gratitude and thanks to those who filled her life and touched her heart.