Born in St. Louis, Burke grew up in Wauwatosa, Wis., and served in the U.S. Army in Korea. Following graduation from the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wis., he and his wife, Alice, made their home in Milwaukee, where their six children were born. While in Milwaukee, Burke worked for Patrick Cudahy and twice ran for U.S. Congress.
The Burke family moved to Dubuque, Iowa, in 1960. In 1964, Burke accepted a position at Supreme Foods in Ames, Iowa. The Burkes eventually bought the company and it became Pronto Food Kitchens, later Burke Corporation. In 1974, the company shifted focus from the manufacturer of frozen pizzas to producing and marketing custom pre-cooked pizza toppings.