Anderson Burke
Andy shown with his brother Eddie.
In 2005 after the death of his mother, Andy contacted Kathy Jackson, Executive Director of The Arc of the St. Johns. Kathy and he immediately made a strong connection leading both Andy and his wife Julie to a very special and moving relationship with his brother, Eddie Burke. Eddie had been institutionalized within the State of Florida’s homes for disabled children shortly after his birth and had been transferred out of the State’s care to The Arc of the St. Johns in 1992. Thus, began an amazing twelve-year period where he became Eddie’s legal guardian and was able to witness firsthand the wonderful care given to our fellow citizens with disabilities by the staff at The Arc of the St. Johns. Kathy suggested that Andy write his family’s story.
Andy began researching Eddie’s life during his time at the state institutions, both in Gainesville and in Marianna. He had deep interviews with his father and reviewed the extensive journals his mother had kept.
The journey following Eddie’s life was a significant life changer for him and resulted his book Three Fields (brothers) being published in 2012. Included in the book was a short narrative section about the Bradley family and their daughter Kathy, who like Eddie, had a severe level of Down syndrome. In 2022, the indefatigable Kathy Jackson reached out to Andy with the news that new CEO of The Arc of Florida, Alan Abramowitz, was interested in republishing Three Fields (brothers). It was decided to ask Dick Bradley to co-author the new volume and tell his family’s story. The long process of rewriting Three Fields (brothers), now titled Three Fields (A Brother. A Sister.), was very satisfying to Andy and allowed him to work with a team to offer a completer and more interesting story line.
As an avid traveler and sports enthusiast, Andy enjoy long treks in various countries. He currently lives in Bend, Oregon with his wife Julie.
