John Burke Asher

John Burke Asher, 83, passed away on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on June 6, 1941, to Reginald and Irene Asher.

Burke grew up in Branford, Connecticut, where he excelled in academics and athletics. He was inducted into the Branford Sports Hall of Fame in 2012, an honor overshadowed only by the trouncing he delivered to football rival East Haven on Thanksgiving Day 1958 – making his parents the happiest people in the world.

After discharge from active duty in Vietnam, Burke attained the rank of captain in the U.S Army Reserve. With a degree from the University of Pennsylvania, Burke had a variety of executive finance roles in the oil industry and retired from Remington Oil in 2005.

In 1976, Burke moved to Plano, Texas, where he met Jeanne Grissom. They were married from 1990 until her death in 2018.

Burke was known for his sense of humor (for better or worse) and for his integrity and generosity (always for the better). He was a devotee of cabaret music, theater, film, travel, and sports – with an encyclopedic knowledge of them all.

He served on multiple community boards, including 15 years with Plano Repertory Theatre and an active role at The ArtCentre of Plano.

Burke is survived by his stepdaughter, Dawn Wilds; stepson, Jason Grissom; granddaughters, Stephanie Rangel and Nicole Moran; great-grandkids, Jada and Julian Rangel and Cambria and Meztli Moran; siblings, Edward Asher, Mary Lou Asher, Paul Asher-Best and Nancy Goldstein. He was predeceased by his brother David Asher.

A memorial celebration will be held on Sunday, December 15, 2024, at 3:00 p.m., at the ArtCenter of Plano. In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made to the ArtCentre.