James Francis Burke

NASHUA, NH – James Francis Burke, (1965-2020), passed away on April 30, 2020 in Nashua, NH. An ardent and lifelong opponent of communist terror, he grew up in a family led by a career Navy man serving on ballistic missile carrying subs, including involvement in the Cuban Missile Crisis, and a mother who had worked at Bells Labs on the Safeguard anti-ballistic missile system. He worked at the defense policy think tank Institute for Foreign Policy Analysis. (IFPA) from 1988-1990. He was a published authority on the intelligence history of events in Eastern Europe in 1989-1991 and the “capital markets intelligence” industry, including articles in Intelligence & National Security (including the widely cited work “Romanian and Soviet Intelligence in the December Revolution”), the International Journal of Intelligence & Counter-Intelligence, and World Affairs. James met with active dissidents inside the Soviet empire in 1986 (Latvia), was briefly interrogated by the KGB in Leningrad, and later drafted an influential article while at IFPA on U.S. policy options for promoting the independence of the Baltics. In college he also played a key role in a protest that sparked a movement that led to the rolling back of a leftist totalitarian “speech code” at Tufts University (a movement he was later informed had helped inspire the founders of FIRE [thefire.org]).

James also drafted briefs for the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals and U.S. Supreme Court for his brother in John B. Burke v. United States against the efforts of the DoJ in 2001-2005 to fabricate a range of precedents to nullify a wide range of 4th, 5th and 6th amendment protections- and establish the first formal thought crime prosecution by broadening applicability of the Hobbs Act to not require an overt act. It was a highly politicized case due to his brother’s “right-wing” thought and purported associations.

A graduate of Portsmouth Abbey School, Tufts University, and the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy, he later played a key role in the development of the “capital markets intelligence” industry, including work as the Director of Research at Thomson Financials CDA/Equity Intelligence unit and later as VP- Research at the American Stock Transfer & Trust Company’s AST Fund Solutions business. He also worked in 1999-2001 as part of the management team (Dir. Strategy) of the American Management Association- advancing what James believed is the superiority of the “American Way of Business.”

He was deeply family oriented and sacrificed much of his life for his family and America. He was an avid golfer, historian of American History and Western History, and lifelong devoted American Patriot and anti-communist. James was a believer in the Guiding Hand of God.

His late mother was Maura Ann Burke (of New York, NY) while his father was Franklyn E. Burke III (of New York, NY). He is survived by his brother John Brian Burke.

A private graveside service and burial took place at St. Patrick’s Cemetery in Lowell, MA.

A MEMORIAL MASS FOR JAMES WILL BE HELD ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 7, 2021 AT 10 AM AT THE IMMACULATE COMCEPTION CHURCH, 216 E. DUNSTABLE ROAD, NASUHA, NH. ALSO AVAILABLE LIVESTREMED ON THE PARISH WEBSITE, WWW.ICCNASHUANH.ORG.

ARRANGEMENTS BY THE

FAY McCABE FUNERAL DIRECTORS

978-459-9222 www.faymccabe.com