Dr. William Parnelle Burks, 91

United States Army Medical Corps

February 28, 1933  -  January 28, 2025

Dr. William Parnelle Burks of Montgomery Township, a beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, doctor, and friend, died peacefully at the Princeton Medical Center on January 28, 2025, following a brief illness. He was 91.

Bill was born February 28, 1933, in Elizabeth, NJ, to the late Catherine Parnelle and Harry G. Burks, Jr. The middle of three brothers, he spent his early years in Hillside, NJ, and attended the Pingry School, where he was a standout scholar-athlete, quarterback, and third baseman.

Bill graduated from Princeton University with a BS in Biology in 1955. He was a member of the Quadrangle Club, active in tennis and golf, and quarterback of the sprint (150 lb.) football team, leading the team to an undefeated season in his senior year. 

From an early age, Bill aspired to be a physician. He received his MD from the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, and did his surgical training at St. Luke’s Hospital, New York, advancing to chief resident, general surgery. Following residency, he served as captain in the United States Army Medical Corps, from 1964 to 1966, including a one-year tour of duty as a trauma surgeon in a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital unit in Vietnam. 

Bill joined Princeton Surgical Associates as partner in 1966. He was a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, and Attending Surgeon at the Medical Center of Princeton, including a tenure as Chief of General Surgery. An expert in arterial vascular surgery, Bill was a doctor of the old school. He offered compassionate care, a steady hand, and trusted counsel to patients, community members, family, and friends.

Throughout his life, Bill committed countless hours to ensuring the durability and vitality of the Princeton-area community. Numerous institutions were dear to his heart. He joined the Board of Trustees of Princeton Area Community Foundation (PACF) in 1993, two years after the organization was founded and continued as trustee from 1993 to 2021, serving as Board Chair (1997–2006) during the organization’s critical, early growth years. Bill was a passionate fundraiser and fierce champion of PACF, believing that by raising money for the organization, he could help many nonprofits in the region. Honored as a Trustee Emeritus in 2021, he remained active with PACF until his death, serving on the investment committee and recruiting and mentoring new generations of fundraisers. 

Bill also served on the Princeton Medical Center Foundation’s Board of Directors for nearly 20 years, playing an instrumental role in advocating and fundraising for the new hospital campus. In 2012, the Foundation honored Bill as the inaugural recipient of the Physician Philanthropist Award, an honor created in his name, as a tribute to his legacy of service, leadership, and generosity. He was named Trustee Emeritus of Princeton Day School, after a decade of distinguished leadership as Trustee (1970–80) and Board Chair (1975–80), and remained active in that role until his death.

Bill was a patriarch, a healer, a gentleman, and a trusted and admired friend. He was a keen and curious listener, who somehow always knew the right thing to say. His love of athletics led him to tennis club championships and golf adventures with family and friends. A savvy investor, he delighted in the company of fellow members of the Princeton Investors Group.

Bill nurtured and sustained a deep affection for his alma mater Princeton, with yearly appearances in the P-rade, as season ticket holder and regular attendee at football and basketball events, and as a member of the Varsity Club. He served in a leadership capacity for his class, as Alumni Schools Committee regional chair, and, along with classmates in the great Class of 1955, founded Project 55, an organization that provides support for Princeton graduates seeking careers in public service. 

For most of his life, Bill spent his summers in Madison, Connecticut, reveling in the company of generations of friends and family and enjoying the view overlooking Long Island Sound from his perch on the front porch. A faithful member of Trinity Church, Bill was a longtime member of the Bedens Brook Club, the Pretty Brook Tennis Club, and the Nassau Club. 

Bill was predeceased by the love of his life, Judith S. Burks (1933–2021), whom he met at a tea dance hosted by his mother when he was 17. They were happily married for 66 years and raised four children in the Princeton community. Together with “Hoppy,” “Doc Doc” cherished and inspired their 14 grandchildren. He was their true north. 

Bill is survived by his children and their spouses: Katharine and William Hackett (Skillman, NJ), Elizabeth (Holly) Burks and Paul Becker (Lawrenceville, NJ), Deborah and Michael Southwick (Old Greenwich, CT), and William Jr. (Whip) and Katrina Burks (Duxbury, VT), thirteen grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, and his brother, Robert W. Burks (Morristown, NJ). A service of remembrance will be held at Trinity Church, Princeton (33 Mercer Street), on February 22, 2025, at 11 am. 

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Judith and William Burks Fund at the Princeton Area Community Foundation and the Princeton Medical Center Foundation.