Philip J. Burch

Philip Joseph Burch, 87, of Little Rock, Arkansas, passed away peacefully on July 15, 2024. 

Philip was born on March 6, 1937 to Joseph Hampton and Margaret Victoria Willett Burch in Mayfield, Kentucky. He was a 1955 graduate of St. Mary’s Academy in Paducah, KY. Immediately after high school, Phil joined the US Air Force, serving at Hickman AFB in Hawaii until being honorably discharged in 1959. He earned his degree in Business Administration from Merrimack College and a Master of Business Administration from Murray State University prior to his management careers with General Electric and ARKLA Gas. After retirement, he enjoyed woodworking and socializing with his community of dear friends. 

Over the years, Philip has been a dedicated volunteer supporting a variety of missions and nonprofit organizations. He was proud of his service to The Cathedral of St. Andrew and work in American Samoa, as well as the Arkansas Arthritis Foundation, Arkansas Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, Camp Aldersgate, and Volunteers in Public Schools (ViPS LRSD). In 2004, Philip was the recipient of the Jane Mendel Award – the school district’s highest honor in recognition for volunteer service.

Philip was preceded in death by his parents, and brothers, Patrick and Frank Burch. He is survived by his brother, James Burch of Las Vegas, NV and sister, Margaret Wurth of Paducah, KY; by his children: Michael Burch of Bartlesville OK, Theresa Burch of Shreveport, LA, Jeffrey Burch of Zionsville, IN, Amy Masse of Denver, CO, and Christopher Burch of Denver, CO.; by the mother of his children, Judith Reaves Burch; by his grandchildren: Jessica, Andrea, Zachary, Annelise, Lauren, Megan and Lily; and by his great grandchildren: Riley and Tate. 

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Arkansas Children’s Hospital at 

https://support.archildrens.org/

A funeral mass will be held on Wednesday, July 24th at 10am at The Cathedral of St. Andrew, 617 S. Louisiana St., Little Rock, AR 72201. A burial with military honors will follow at 12pm at Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery, 1501 W. Maryland Ave., North Little Rock, AR 72120. 

Arrangements made by Smith Family Funeral Home – Little Rock.