In New York City, there are 19 such sites which are overseen by live-in caretakers who serve as watchman, gardeners, guides and security guards, in exchange for free lodging. Always curious and seeking information, George started a second career with Siemens, where he worked for ten years as a Service Specialist of Building Technologies. Why cant they just appreciate something for what it is? If you stood outside and looked at it, the staircase went that way. And she said, George, you have so much with design and such, I want you to take over the wallpaper department and the fabric department. I did fantastic for the store. Most of them were little things. Thats why I did what I did, because I figured that if anything ever happens to me, all of this, now, will have to stay as it is. Its just a shame. Burke: Theyll come in, but youll have to have somebody as a guide. The real estate lady wouldnt come in. And then you could walk under the porch out into the garden. George had a wonderful career with the MBTA, starting as repairman and becoming the Superintendent of the Red Line until his retirement. Burke: Yes, its a big oil painting, a big painting like this. And he said, George, you know, that big, beautiful house that sits empty? Q: I wanted to ask, also, theres a painting of you in the house, right? Then upstairs, was all the bedrooms. And then, on the side of the house in the back, there was a little piece built out. And thats where we are today. And I looked in the thing, I said, Holy shit. It was piled up in their basement. I forgottheres ten acres that is landmarked now. And I was the assistant to the general who was the surgeon for the European Command. So theres no more Scalamandr, I dont think, is there? And the White Party we do in order to take care of doing cleanup on the lawn, doing any kind of plantings, or anything, because he did it all the years. So when I get out of the service, I got a job. She came and did a lot for the draperies and everything here. And, well, lets face it, they never had any hot water over there at all. Thanks very much to you. But not long ago, I was talking about it. And as you see it today was from me doing all those little things. The developers came in with bulldozersbulldozed that mansion, bulldozed the stables. Take a walk. I said, No, no, Im gonna save this house. He said, Oh! Burke: No, who gave me that? Q: The Friends of the Seguine Mansionthe friends group. So I moved into the front parlor room, there. So we need to get help. [laughs]. It was unbelievably gorgeous. And my other sisternow, of course shes passed awaybut now her daughter took it, and the daughter gave it to her daughter. Yes. George Burke. I bet shes there. And in the back of the house, its still there, is aChrist, it must be half the size of this roomis a huge, huge lilac bush. Q: So tell me about what its been like for you to live here. I mean, I could do a little woodwork, but I wasnt a carpenter. Daller: So not that much time was spent on Staten Island. So dont worry about it. Ghost in the houseif shes gonna live there, she could do some cleaning up, do some dusting. The recognitions bestowed upon him: He received the 2015 Community Certificate of Appreciation, a proclamation from Staten Island for George Burke Day, the 2016 Preservation League Award and the NYS Senate Certificate of Recognition for 2015.The unique creatures on his property: Eighteen peacocks, descending from two he obtained in Florida, roam on his property. Daller: Then you got rid of thatbut those are the early days. And Im looking at looking at it and I said, You know, thats the last house. I donated the house to Historic House Trust retaining life rights while I continued every effort to preserve it. And I got a big certificate for saving that. Daller: We really cant give you any details on that. And Luis was really, really a great guy. Daller: We lived several places. One of the doors was shot, so I took this door off, and when I did, the brick wall, on the side, started falling out. I saved that, thats still there. It doesnt happen on the North Shore because were very condensed and its a dense population. John D. Burke, who was pastor emeritus of Holy Child parish on Staten Island, died Sept. 23. Burke: So, my sister Marge, and my sister Bess, would come over and help me. Burke: Yes, there was a little man in New Jersey. Burke: Well, I hope it gets maintained. Developers. They just went and just vandalized it to hell until there was nothing but a shell left. Who Receive obituaries Sharon Ann Conner If they brought flowers, it had to be lilacs. So I said, Oh. So that was thatI got that little story. Interviewing George Burke, and. Like this chair that youre sitting in, these are Chippendale chairs in the Chinese style. So tell me about when you went to Europe. But I had all that money! I had just bought this house, and it needed a lot of work. Burke: Oh, God, I stood on the edge here and I watched what was going on over there. George had a wonderful career with the MBTA, starting as repairman and becoming the Superintendent of the Red Line until his retirement. So I figured, hmm! So I went down in Rossville and I bought a beautiful, big old, rundown place and restored it completely. I had the best collection of the most beautiful carved ivory and things because they didnt have money but they would give you things. About that time, I learned that the historic Vanderbilt museum housed a descendent of the original Vanderbilt who had lived there. What the hell is that coming from? So I come down the stairs, and as I got down the stairs, the spelling got stronger and stronger. Daller: Right, we really dont discuss any of that. What the woman who was caretaking her, what she had to do was constantly keep lilacs next to the bed. Because I certainlyI never passed up a bargain. Because Evelyn didnt like the house, his wife. And then I shipped it all back home. Find your ancestry info and recent death notices for relatives and friends. missing clemson student; rib cage name tattoos for females. Theyll take care of it and be able to show tours. in memory of George W. Burke, please visit our floral store. Oneida County GenWeb Site includes death indexes, obituaries and cemetery listings Oneida County: Waterville Times Obituary Index . Thats the only thing people could bring. And I know everythingId love to go out to Staten Island. So he said, Good. They cant just say, The doors are open for anybody, just walk in! Somebody will walk in, and say, Oh, I like those chairs, pick them up, and take them, and theyll be gone. I went over there, and it was standing up sleeping! What the hell do you think it was? So we brought that point up a few times. They cant do anything. Theyre piled up. Burke: Well, I was always an antique collector. Burke: So, in other words, fifty years from now, if someone wants to learn about the house, they can find out. So I moved into the house here. You just named them. McNamara-Sparrell Funeral Homes 781-383-0200. And then the Historic House Trust will use it as well to understand whats important to you about maintaining the house. And I said, Was that a dream? I need to get someone in to do a good cleaning on the house, someone to take care of maintaining it. And I made a lot of money. And then Id been in Europe all that time. Well, he didnt want the bull with the little girl. Also survived by many in-laws, aunts, cousins, nieces and nephews. Chris was the one that got involved with it. Q: Yes, absolutely. But the old lady that lived there was very, very sick. You want to have someone living in it, you cant have an empty house. And I was in the medical department, worked in the operating room. There was nine of us in the whole family. And I had the two apartments! Burke: Yes. Its a part of the history that should remain. So itll be part of Staten Island that people, maybe fifty years from now when theres not a spot left, theyll all come out and theyll look and say, Wow, this is what it used to be.. Burke: Yes. George Burke was born on Staten Island and grew up in Annandale before moving to Florida with his family. And, then I gotwhod I get from the city? And that way, it wouldnt burn the houses down. Daller: And that house was beautiful. You cant ride anywhere but in a circle arena. And I did, I got in St. George wasnt it? And I wanted these little chairs tufted but he had passed away before he could get around to tuft. Now the little girl had to be moved to Wall Street. He then served as senior priest at St. Adalbert's, Staten Island. Burke: So then I gave it to the Historic House Trust of New York. He did so much work for you. Jack Johnson and George Burke bought the inn in February 1973. Daller: You know, people dont understand them. And right there in front of the windows was a coffin with all the flowers around it and everything. And she used to drink all the whiskey like crazy. Isnt that a huge house theyre building, you told me? The only thing that will save this house as a bulldozer! [laughs] But anyway, I saved it. Burke: Well, youve got to thank Mrs. Seguine. And he come from a very, very wealthy family in Madrid. So she said, Bess said, Were going to have to quit, George. I said Oh, shit. So I rented the apartment next door, and I broke a hole in the wall. Burke: I had a beautiful big old house in Tottenville that I loved. And over the years, it became just prohibitive to try and do. And then I said, well, now Im going to buy a home. I mean, its just normal living in a normal house. So every time she wants to go riding, she has to go all the way to New Jersey, ride her horse, and then come all the way back. Im offered fortunes for the front field, for the side field, for the backfield. But, God, that was almost 100 years ago, you know? And it never had a kitchen. Find the obituary of George Burke (1957 - 2021) from Hull, MA. I dont need The Death of Cleopatra hanging above my fireplace. At GenealogyBank, we have made family research easy by digitizing more than 330 years' worth of Brooklyn obituaries in our national newspaper database. But that was a condo. And then I went through floor and room after room, and took almost five years to put the house in good shape, the way you could see it. And I renovated the bar, I renovated the other side, my two sisters came to work for me, running the kitchen and the dining room. Funeral arrangement under the care of Mc Namara Sparrell Funeral Services . And, oh, nobefore then, when I had moved in, I had moved in, and the house had been empty for years. And they repaired all these taxis, repainted them, and then sold them all to Cuba. Q: And so, what sort of vision do you have for, you know, the next the next forty years, for how the grounds are maintained and how. You werent allowed to buy much because it was worth a fortune over there to the general public, to the British. Oh, God, it was gorgeous. In the late 1970s, I owned two restaurants on Staten Island, Burke's Landing and Tide Water Inn. So, unfortunately, there arent many people that care that way anymore. Burke: You want it from the first day I was born in the hospital across the street? And the whole big building used to be a big private home, and then they had made it into a restaurant. Because my house was right across the street from it. So when I got it, of course, the old kitchen was inI had knocked it down because it was all falling apart. So they built it like an attic and it was called an attic but it was a whole complete story. And in order to have food and such, youd have to bring it up the back stairs. Burke: Its right on the Boulevard and it goes down to the beach. Or did you have to just guess and make decisions? And then of course, being in New York and being in the thing like that, I got to be very, very good friends, with Scalamandr. And Ill see to it that, financially, things work out for the two of us. And you cant control it from the grave. And I took John in as a partner, but I owned the Old Bermuda Inn and the two buildings. Still kept it. Daller: Well, remember how much it took to paint the whole house, and how you had to paint sections of it? The oldwhat the hell was itgrocery store. Then, on that side, was the dining room, and the kitchen. And then when we realized we were broke, all my brothers joined the military, got married, moved away. So I bought it. I lived in one room, for almost five years. Daller: Well, you got involved with Burkes Landing with Scalia. 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