Andrea Nuku Burke, 45, of Burlington, died Sept. 12, 2023, at Great River Hospice House in West Burlington. Andrea was born July 23, 1978, in Iowa City, to Denise Jean Burke Daniel of East Moline, Ill., and the late Willie Howard Walker of Rock Island, Ill.
Andrea was a 1996 graduate of West Burlington High School and attended college at Southeastern Community College in West Burlington. Andrea was very proud to be a part of the original "Fun City Crew" when it opened for business in Dec. 2005 in Burlington. As a natural leader, Andrea earned a promotion to a supervisory position and held the title of Event Coordinator for the remainder of her twelve-year tenure with Great River Entertainment.
In October 2017, Andrea became the Human Resources Administrator at USG in Mediapolis, where she "put the human in the resources" as she always said. Ask anyone who has worked with Andrea over the years, and they will tell you that she is unforgettable, when in fact, it was Andrea who remembered everyone's name, their family's names, when they married and had their babies. Andrea made it a point to genuinely find a way to help people in their personal and professional lives. Many of the recruits she took under her wing at Fun City and USG are thriving in their respective careers today.
Those left to cherish Andrea’s loving memory include her three children, Lerelcus, Landen, and Willow Greer, all of Burlington; her mother, Denise Daniel of Burlington; her brothers Willie (Blaire) Burke of Burlington, Nik (Holley) Daniel of Denver, Colo., Austin Daniel of Burlington; her nieces & nephews, Kaysean Rice, Alaceah Hofstetter, Alexandrea Hofstetter, Dreyton Payne, Willie Burke Jr., Emma Burke, Aidan Daniel and Max Daniel; her great niece Khylani Baker; her great nephew Kamari Rice; her aunts & uncles Gloria Lampkin, Eddie Walker and Alma Walker-Womack, all of Rock Island, IL, Dennis Burke of Coal Valley, Ill., Debbie (Kevin) Farnsworth of Colona;her "sister cousins", Nuku Lampkin, Nicole Brooks, Shenna Hughes and Meghan Grimmett along with countless amazing friends. Andrea was preceded in death by her father Willie Howard Walker and grandparents Norris & Crystal Burke and Betty Walker.
Andrea was a natural nurturer - babies would just melt in her presence. "Bring me all the babies!" she'd say. Everyone, even complete strangers, were drawn to Andrea's natural ability to love and regularly found themselves pouring their heart out to her. So many of us will carry her love, kindness, and words of wisdom with us all the days of our lives.
She loved reading, gardening, crafting, and throwing the best parties for any occasion - because making people feel special was her specialty. She absolutely loved cheering on all of the kids at their sporting events and made it her mission to be a part of celebrating her friends and family, be it a graduation, wedding, or birthday. Whether she was cutting letters for banners, making tutus, or throwing candy from a parade - she always found a way to celebrate. Of all the things Andrea loved about life - being in the moment with her three children was undoubtedly her favorite.
One of Andrea's famous expressions is "I love you more". She made sure everyone knew she loved them, not more than they loved her but more than the toughest times they would go through, more than any argument they could ever have, more than any distance between them and any obstacle they would ever face. She fought to stay here with her loved ones as long as she could. We will only ever say "see you soon" instead of goodbye. May she rest peacefully in heaven until we meet again.
Andrea requested that her family and friends come together to celebrate her life rather than mourn her death. We will honor her wishes with a celebration of life to be held in October (additional details will be released at a later date).
A memorial has been established for Andrea's three children.