David Ray Burks, 'Tank', 'Tilden' and a few other nicknames. My Ole Friend who I always stop to look across Highway 1 South when I visit my parents and look over at David's Home and Pat Lee's Home and the Ole Curb where we use to sit and visit. So many memories of David, YMCA, riding bikes to Solomon Junior High, Football and his laugh; not to forget the hair. Many knocks on my window on nights to come help with something or someone - made a many a trip out of that front window. When I stay with my parents in my old room, I often wonder if some of my friends that have passed will come and knock again.... One of my favorite David stories is a football memory from back at Ole Solomon Junior High during our 9th Grade Year. We were or thought we were kind of a ruff bunch, you had to be careful about bending over in the huddle during practice or someone would spit down your back. We loved to hit and were basically a little touched. We were playing Neville out of Monroe, which we later found out was a Varsity B-Team instead of a Junior High Team. They were bigger and their coach cussed like a sailor. We were on the field getting ready to kick off and the coach from Neville put his clipboard to his face a yelled out 'knock their ----ing asses off'. David started laughing and laughed all the way down the field. Same game later in the game David said his head was hurting and accused me of pushing his helment down on his head in the huddle. After a few plays we had him take his helment off and all of his straps were broken in the helment which meant his head was against the hard helment..What a laugh. The last time I spoke with David he was a Mercedes Parts Person in Houston; they told me his vision was about gone but he was the best parts manager they had ever seen. I know when he lost Thelma he faced many challenges and he deeply and truly loved her. Our last visit he still had the same laugh and I know he has found peace and is with his love. Save room, Tank...A Grin and Hug to You Ole Friend, I hope I knock on St.Peter's Gate and You meet me.....David left us on 2/15/05
Old Tank was one the original John Street boys, along with Sambo Fleming, his baby brother Steve, Zack Smith, Bill "Rooster" Carroll, Mike Tubertini and myself. Later on the Jett brothers moved there too. David had a crazy laugh, loud and maniacal, and I remember many good football games in Mrs. Smith's and Rooster's front yards. No quarter was given and none was asked. He gave 100% on everything he did and got his name Tank from running over people with the football laughing all the time. He was almost impossible to tackle unless there were 3 of us. One day we decided to skateboard using a ski rope behind Denver Pyle's car, an old Ford Falcon. Everything was going fine until we made the turn at the triangle and that's where David lost it. The board went out from under him one way, and he went the other and hit the gravel in curb with no shirt, no shoes just shorts. As usual, he came up laughing but was bleeding from head to toe! He looked like he'd been in a fight with a wildcat and lost! LOL I always thought about poor Mrs. Burks trying to handle David and his brother. I won't go into why he shot the TV full of holes. That's another story. Rest well old friend!
John Provenza (1971)
David Ray Burks, 'Tank', 'Tilden' and a few other nicknames. My Ole Friend who I always stop to look across Highway 1 South when I visit my parents and look over at David's Home and Pat Lee's Home and the Ole Curb where we use to sit and visit. So many memories of David, YMCA, riding bikes to Solomon Junior High, Football and his laugh; not to forget the hair. Many knocks on my window on nights to come help with something or someone - made a many a trip out of that front window. When I stay with my parents in my old room, I often wonder if some of my friends that have passed will come and knock again.... One of my favorite David stories is a football memory from back at Ole Solomon Junior High during our 9th Grade Year. We were or thought we were kind of a ruff bunch, you had to be careful about bending over in the huddle during practice or someone would spit down your back. We loved to hit and were basically a little touched. We were playing Neville out of Monroe, which we later found out was a Varsity B-Team instead of a Junior High Team. They were bigger and their coach cussed like a sailor. We were on the field getting ready to kick off and the coach from Neville put his clipboard to his face a yelled out 'knock their ----ing asses off'. David started laughing and laughed all the way down the field. Same game later in the game David said his head was hurting and accused me of pushing his helment down on his head in the huddle. After a few plays we had him take his helment off and all of his straps were broken in the helment which meant his head was against the hard helment..What a laugh. The last time I spoke with David he was a Mercedes Parts Person in Houston; they told me his vision was about gone but he was the best parts manager they had ever seen. I know when he lost Thelma he faced many challenges and he deeply and truly loved her. Our last visit he still had the same laugh and I know he has found peace and is with his love. Save room, Tank...A Grin and Hug to You Ole Friend, I hope I knock on St.Peter's Gate and You meet me.....David left us on 2/15/05
Jon Swint (1970)
Old Tank was one the original John Street boys, along with Sambo Fleming, his baby brother Steve, Zack Smith, Bill "Rooster" Carroll, Mike Tubertini and myself. Later on the Jett brothers moved there too. David had a crazy laugh, loud and maniacal, and I remember many good football games in Mrs. Smith's and Rooster's front yards. No quarter was given and none was asked. He gave 100% on everything he did and got his name Tank from running over people with the football laughing all the time. He was almost impossible to tackle unless there were 3 of us. One day we decided to skateboard using a ski rope behind Denver Pyle's car, an old Ford Falcon. Everything was going fine until we made the turn at the triangle and that's where David lost it. The board went out from under him one way, and he went the other and hit the gravel in curb with no shirt, no shoes just shorts. As usual, he came up laughing but was bleeding from head to toe! He looked like he'd been in a fight with a wildcat and lost! LOL I always thought about poor Mrs. Burks trying to handle David and his brother. I won't go into why he shot the TV full of holes. That's another story. Rest well old friend!