Richard Paul 'Dick' Burkett

Richard (Dick) Paul Burkett, 90, passed away April 2, 2017 in Greencastle.

He enlisted in the Navy at 17, trained as a signal man and served in the Pacific during World War II.

He re-enlisted in the Army and served in Japan as part of the 11th Airborne Division as a code radio operator. During the Korean War, he was assigned to the Seventh Infantry Division as part of the signal battalion. After Korea, he was an announcer on Armed Forces Radio in Japan. Back in the States, he helped setup and run a training TV station.

After his enlistment, he used his radio and TV experience starting up TV stations in the early 1950s. He became the head film man for Channel 8 TV in Indianapolis in 1954.

To keep his time in the military, he enlisted in the Marines, then the Indiana National Guard 38th Infantry Division. He then worked full-time for the Active Guard Reserves as the chief operations sergeant until his retirement from the military in 1986 as sergeant major. He worked another 11 years as the state school manager for the Military Department of Indiana.

He was a member of St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church in Greencastle, and was involved with the local VFW and honor guard.

He is survived by his sister, Mary Lou Deemer of Apollo, Pa.; daughters Gretchen Robertson (Brian) of Flat Rock, Ind., Dr. Ann Sasaki-Madigan (John) of Coeur d'Alene, Ida., and Miriam Burkett of Indianapolis; sons Tom Burkett (Char) of Forest, Va., and Paul Burkett (Melinda) of Dumfries, Va.; grandchildren Mary, Daniel, Calli, Bradley and Aaron.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Barbara; sister Miriam Burkett; and brother Gerald Burkett.

Richard will be buried in his hometown of Apollo, Pa., with a graveside service and military honor guard.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating in his memory to one of the following: St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church, 202 E. Washington St., Greencastle, IN 46135; Purple Heart Foundation, online at http://www.purpleheartfoundation.org/donate/ or by check payable to the Military Order of the Purple Heart Service Foundation, mailed to Military Order of the Purple Heart Service Foundation Inc., 7008 Little River Turnpike, P.O. Box 49, Annandale, VA 22003.