Month: July 2025

William Vincent “Vin” Burke, husband, father, grandfather, and (as he would have you know) “giant” of broadcast news, passed away peacefully at his home of 43 years in Darien, Connecticut, on July 29, 2025, at the age of 85. The cause of death was complications from dementia. A man of great enthusiasm and spirit, Vin loved his family, his Irish-American heritage, his friends, and his work in television news. He was the eldest of three sons, born in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1940 to Irish immigrant parents, Belinda A. Scott Burke and William Lawrence Burke. At Springfield’s Classical High School, he was captain of the swimming team; he then earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Springfield College. He later attended Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, and there met his wife of 55 years, Lynne Ozard. Vin took his first job in broadcast journalism in 1963, at WWLP-TV in Springfield, where he worked as a reporter and weekend anchor. Although admitted to Syracuse as a doctoral student – he proposed a dissertation on FDR’s “Fireside Chats” – he took a position as news director for the city’s WHEN Radio in 1971. It was there he also received the first of many awards for his work, twice earning the New York State Associated Press Broadcasters Awards for general excellence. Subsequent jobs took Vin and Lynne to Buffalo, Philadelphia, and Chicago, where their three sons, Sean, Brendan, and Liam were born. In Chicago, Vin was Director of News Operations for WLS-TV, whose broadcast won an Emmy in May 1979. In June 1979, the family moved to Louisville, Kentucky, where Vin became Vice President for WHAS-TV, whose news department, under his supervision, won nearly every major television award for local news reporting. In 1982, Vin took a job as Vice President with ABC Owned Television Stations in New York City, which brought the family to Darien. He returned to local news, however, in 1988, when he joined WTIC in Hartford as its founding news director. His final job in television was with News 22 in his hometown of Springfield. In retirement, he taught broadcast journalism at the University of New Haven. Vin was active in the community, serving as a board member for the Darien YMCA, on the town’s Parks & Recreation Commission, and as Commodore of the Darien Boat Club. He also was one of the founding members of the newspaper in which this obituary appears. Vin is survived by his wife, Lynne; three sons, Sean, Brendan, and Liam Burke (Heather); two grandchildren, Shepard and Griffin Burke; a brother, Kevin Burke; and six nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his brother Raymond. Visiting hours will be held on Friday, August 1, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m., at the Lawrence Funeral Home. A Mass will be held on Saturday, August 2, at 10:00 a.m., at St. John Church in Darien, where Vin was a member. All are invited to a celebration of life at 12 noon that day at the family home at 15 Duffy’s Lane, Darien. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Visiting Nurse & Hospice of Fairfield County or Post 53. The family wishes to note its profound gratitude to Luc Pierre, Vin’s loving friend and caretaker in his final years.