By Staff
SPC (Ret) Bob Burk, 78, died Thursday, Oct. 29, 2009, at a Mobile hospital. He was a native of Pontotoe, Miss. and served in the U.S. Army for 25 years in the Korean War and in Vietnam. He received the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. He lived in Flomaton where he bought and ran the Flomaton Speedway for several years. He retired from T.R. Miller Mill Company with 17 years of service. He was a private pilot and attended church at Friendship Freewill Baptist Church. He was preceded in death by his parents; a sister; three brothers; one stepdaughter, Melanie Hatfield Johnson; and one great-grandson, Bryant McCall.
He is survived by his wife, Melba Burk of Flomaton; three sons, Robert (Debra) Burk of Alexander City, Ken (Kerri) Burk of Pasadena, Calif., and Stacy (Josette) Hatfield of the Republic of Panama; five daughters, Denise Godwin and Lori Hatfield, both of Brewton; Rhonda Hatfield and Marco DeZan. both of Chicago, Ill., and Terry Ham of Del Beach, Fla.; a brother, Larry (Bobbie) Burk of Memphis, Tenn.; two sisters, Elaine Robbins and Ginger Donaldson, both of Pontotoc, Miss.; 18 grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and two special friends, James Turner and Cliff Givens.
Funeral services were held Saturday, Oct. 31, at 2 p.m. at Flomaton Funeral Home chapel with the Rev. Mike Henderson officiating. Burial with full military honors and Masonic services followed at Pollard Cemetery with Flomaton Funeral Home directing. Pall bearers were Billy Colvin, Kurt Hand, Rusty Andrews, Pat Carden, Brandon Andrews, Jeffrey Kirkland, Dennis Bullard and Marc Castillow. Honorary pallbearers were Cliff Givens, James Turner, Robert Carden, Earl Henderson, Roland Reeves, and the Masons of Norris Lodge 301.