Patrick Martin Burke

Patrick Martin Burke, 67: artist, painter, graphic designer, muralist, copy writer, illustrator, collector, antiques dealer, guitar builder's apprentice, poet, philosopher, counselor, mentor, teacher, brother, and friend.

Pat passed away peacefully on June 13, 2026 in Waterbury, CT after a long battle with COPD. He is survived by siblings, Jack, Mike and Erin, his niece Meredith, sister-in-law Debra, cousins, and a small group of wonderful friends who helped him through some tough times. He is predeceased by his loving parents John and Ann. He will be missed. 

Pat was a graduate of Western Connecticut State University where he received a BA in graphic design and he attended the Summerworks Art School in Woodstock NY for four sessions in the early 1980s. He lived most of his adult life in Connecticut but spent two years living in NYC pursuing his artistic dreams while trying to make a living wage. During that time he created illustrations for the New York Times, Kree International, Revlon, the Bridgeport Post, and Wildflower Yarns. 

Returning to Connecticut, Pat was employed by the Bridgeport Post as an illustrator where he created many covers for the paper’s weekend magazine. A few years later, Pat moved to Los Angeles where he worked various jobs while starting the t-shirt company L-Alien. He designed, produced, sold and distributed his t-shirts across the Los Angeles region.

After tiring of LA’s craziness, he returned to Connecticut once again where he pursued his muse creating some memorable art. One of the creations he is perhaps most known for is his napkin art – an art-form inspired by one of his teachers at the Summerworks Art School. Initially Pat plied his napkin art trade in Widow Brown’s Café in Danbury where he would turn bar napkins into curious little works of art and where he would trade them for drinks or simply give them away to people he deemed worthy. Later he made a business of selling them on eBay where he developed a small but dedicated following.

Pat was intelligent, articulate, sensitive and empathetic. He was loved by those who came to know him and his generous spirit. He was perhaps the epitome of a struggling artist. And like Vincent, in the words of Don McClean, “this world was never meant for one as beautiful as you.” The date/place for final arrangements and a celebration of life will be posted on Pat’s Facebook in the near future.