Denzila (Dennie) Barker Burke, Hopkinsville, Ky., passed away at 3:45 p.m. , Sunday, February 15, 2026 at the Linda E. White Hospice House in Evansville, IN.
She was born February 1, 1945, in Dothan, Ala., daughter of the late Dr. and Mrs. Denzil G. Barker. She was a dynamic lady of faith greatly loved by her family and friends.
Visitation will be held on Tuesday, February 24th, from 12pm to 2pm, followed by a Celebration of Life at 2pm at her beloved Hopkinsville First United Methodist Church. The service will be officiated by Rev. Dan Huck. Hughart, Beard, and Giles will be handling the arrangements.
Burke was preceded in death by her parents, as well as her brother Greg Barker and niece Leanne Barker.
Burke graduated, magna cum laude, from the University of Kentucky with a bachelor’s degree in English. She also earned a secondary education teaching certificate. Burke was tapped to Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s oldest honorary society, and was a member of Kappa Delta Sorority.
She was executive director of the Austin Peay State University Office of Public Relations and Marketing, serving for 22 years (1986-2008). She was named APSU’s Outstanding Employee of the Year in 1991 and was featured in the national Council for Advancement of Secondary Education’s Currents magazine in the article, “Effective Organization in Campus PR Shops.” She received the 2008 Otis Floyd Award for Excellence in Administration from the Tennessee College Public Relations Association.
While on the Tennessee Higher Education Commission Publications Advisory Board, Burke created the Printing and Publishing Guide for all Colleges and Universities, adopted statewide by all public colleges and universities. She made statewide and regional professional presentations.
Prior to her APSU work, she taught English at Western High School, Louisville. For five years, while living in Cincinnati, she was an editor with Southwestern Publishing Company.
Burke co-authored the book, “A Matter of Conscience,” published by Wakestone Press, Nashville. She was a proud member of Hopkinsville First United Methodist Church, Hopkinsville History & Literature Club, Bookworms Anonymous and Town and Country Garden Club.
Burke served as president, vice president and board member of the Pennyroyal Arts Council from 1982-85, during which the council obtained the Alhambra Theatre to use as a performing arts center. She was a member of the board of directors of Kentucky Citizens for the Arts, 1984-90.
She was on the board of the Hopkinsville/Christian County United Way and received a mayoral appointment to Hopkinsville’s Human Relations Commission.
She is survived by her husband of 58 years, Samuel Lewis Burke, Hopkinsville, and two daughters, Barrett (Steve) Russell, Watertown, Tenn., and Lucia (Ryan) Austin, Clarksville, Tenn., and seven grandchildren— Aubrey Russell, Turner Russell, Boone (Rachel) Russell, Burke Russell, Graham Russell, Hatchett Russell, all of Watertown, and Rylan Leigh Austin, Clarksville. She also is survived by her brother Dr. Mark T. (Shirley) Barker, Knoxville, and sister-in-law Sherry Barker, Houston, and several nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Dr. and Mrs. Denzil G. Barker Memorial Scholarship, Alice Lloyd College, 100 Purpose Road, Pippa Passes, KY 41844 for Appalachian students pursuing careers in medical fields. Donations also to FUMC Hopkinsville.
