Less than a year after his last day as mayor of Dixon, Illinois, Jim Burke has passed away.
He became a councilman at age 27, and he was 77 years old when he ended his 16 years as mayor on May 4, 2015.
Burke led his city through tough times, and the beginning of recovery, after they discovered former comptroller, Rita Crundwell, had embezzled nearly $54 million from city accounts.
Burke chose not to run for a fifth term as mayor, and said he planned to return to his real estate business.
Burke, who had been diagnosed with cancer, reportedly died Friday morning, February 19, 2016.
He wanted to be remembered as a good public servant.
"I hope they say he did a heck of a job, and he made things happen," Burke said.