A 1969 documentary clip shows master potter Ron Burke in his element.

In the film, Burke throws a slab of clay on a table to get the air bubbles out. Next, he throws it from hand to hand to form a ball, then places the clay on a potter’s wheel.

“It’s all in the good hands and the good earth,” says the commentator, Charles Kuralt. “Out of a pile of real dirt touched by real fingers comes truth. Truth shaped by human pressures into beauty.”

In the clip, Burke showed viewers how to make a bowl. When done, he looked at it and promptly destroyed it.

Mr. Burke, an accomplished potter from Shapleigh who dedicated his life to sharing his passion for pottery with others, died Tuesday from cancer-related pneumonia. He was 80.

Mr. Burke was an independent studio potter for more than 30 years, and taught master pottery classes from his home. He also worked as a visiting professor and instructor at numerous institutions, including the University of Southern Maine, the University of New Hampshire, the Maine College of Art, Portland Pottery, and the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Deer Isle.

He was a both resident craftsman and instructor at Haystack. His wife, Tess Burke, said he built massive kilns for several schools.

She and their three children gathered on Friday to share stories of a man who inspired many through his love for art, teaching and family.

He began working as an independent studio potter in 1965 while living in Rock Tavern, New York. In 1973, the Burkes moved to Shapleigh, where he transformed a dairy barn into an art studio. Throughout his career, he made and sold an estimated 34,000 clay objects, including sculptures and stoneware vessels such as bowls, mugs and plates.

“He liked feeling the clay with his hands, … touching it and rolling it,” his wife said. “He really got to know each piece.”

Most recently, Mr. Burke taught at Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire. He taught there for seven years before retiring in 2005

“He taught his students how to run kilns and make beautiful pieces,” his wife said. “He wanted his students to learn the whole process. He loved the chemical process of glazing pottery and formulating his own glaze.”

Outside his studio, Mr. Burke was a devoted husband and father who cared deeply about social justice causes.

“He wanted to be inclusive to everyone,” his wife said. “He didn’t want to leave anyone out. He had a welcoming personality. He could strike up a conversation with anyone.”

His daughter Tamara Hlava of Laguna Beach, California, said her father was caring, present, and always interested in their lives.

“I miss that he was my friend,” Hlava said. “He was always in my corner. He always made me feel like I was doing everything right for me and that I was a good mom. He believed in me. … He was always really proud of me and that was a cool feeling.”

He also shared a close relationship with his daughter Tracy Burke of Cape Elizabeth. His son, Brent Burke of Portland, Oregon, said Friday that he appreciated his father’s advice and admired his positive and optimistic outlook on life.

“I admired his boundless optimism about the future. He wasn’t all rainbows and unicorns,” his son said. “He leaned forward and that was awesome.”

Mr. Burke was diagnosed with cancer in April 2010. He stayed in remission for four years. The cancer returned last fall. Throughout his illness, his family said he kept a positive outlook.

“He never gave up,” his wife said.

A brief service will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday at Autumn Green Funeral Home in Alfred. Following the service, there will be an informal gathering to remember him at the York County Shelter at the Brothers on Shaker Hill Road.

Several pieces of his pottery will be displayed during the service.

 

Copy the Story Link