William A. Burke, founder of the Los Angeles Marathon and longtime chair of the South Coast Air Quality Management District Governing Board has died, his family announced Saturday. He was 87.
Burke died Friday, 16 days after his May 13 birthday, but no cause or location of death was released.
“It is with profound sadness, deep love, and immense gratitude that we share the passing of our husband and father Dr. William A. “Bill” Burke, who passed away peacefully on May 29, 2026 … surrounded by his beloved family,” said the announcement released to the Los Angeles Sentinel newspaper. “Bill lived a life of purpose, generosity, and service. He believed deeply that every person deserved the opportunity to live a healthy, fulfilling life, and he spent decades working to make that vision a reality.”
In a 1991 article, the Los Angeles Times credited Burke with almost single-handedly creating the Los Angeles Marathon, one of the nation’s five largest marathons.
“William A. Burke — businessman, entrepreneur, political insider — is the one person responsible for creating and organizing the Los Angeles Marathon,” the Times said. “He has transformed the first modest race in 1986 into a multimillion-dollar marketing triumph.”
Burke told reporters he was inspired to “put on a marathon” after serving as commissioner of tennis during the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
What he created was L.A. Marathon Inc., which unlike the New York or Boston marathons, is a for-profit company rather than a nonprofit organization. In 2008, primary ownership of the marathon was acquired by former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt and is now run as part of his McCourt Foundation.
Late Friday, the organization paid tribute to Burke on Instagram.
“Over forty years ago, one man looked at our city and saw what was possible,” marathon officials noted. “Although he was not a runner himself, he was a civic leader who saw the marathon as a gift to the city following the 1984 Olympics. His guiding philosophy says it all: this race was never just for the runners, it was for the people and the City of Los Angeles.
“Every March, on every block, his vision lives on. Thank you, Bill.”
In 1993, then California State Assembly Speaker Willie Brown appointed Burke to the AQMD Governing Board where he served until his retirement in 2021, including 23 years as chairman and becoming its longest serving member.
With the AQMD, Burke’s initiatives included the creation of an environmental justice program, the Asthma and Outdoor Air Quality Consortium, the Brain and Lung Tumor and Air Pollution Foundation and in 2009 a “Helping Hand Initiative” to protect both health and jobs during an economic downturn.
“As I’ve said before, clean air is a right, not a privilege,” Burke said in during his 2021 retirement ceremony. “I have spent my career fighting to be a voice of the unheard, so that all people have the opportunity to breathe clean air. I’m so proud of the work accomplished during my tenure and when the sun set on my last day of service, I felt at peace because I did the best that I could.”
Burke also served on the state’s Fish and Game Commission, Wildlife Conservation Board, California Coastal Commission and Air Resources Board as well as the Los Angeles Fire Commission.
He earned a bachelor’s degree from Miami University in Ohio and a doctorate of education from the University of Massachusetts. Burke’s awards include the Meritorious Service Award from the City of Los Angeles, a Humanitarian Award from the Mid-City Chamber of Commerce and being named Man of the Year by the Green Power Foundation.
In 1972, Burke founded the American Health Care Delivery Corp. and later served as Chairman of the Board at Genesis International, a Los Angeles-based real estate and mining development holding company. From 1981 to 1984, he supervised the planning and construction of mining concessions in Liberia for the World Mining Development.
Burke also enjoyed a 50-year friendship with boxing legend Muhammad Ali and was a collector of antique cars.
His family said a public memorial will be announced at a later date.
Burke was married to Yvonne Brathwaite Burke — a former congresswoman, Los Angeles County Supervisor and state Assemblywoman — for more than 53 years and was the father of two daughters, former state Assemblywoman Autumn Burke and Christine Burke Adams.
“He had a remarkable ability to make people feel seen, valued, and welcome, whether they were lifelong friends or someone he had just met,” his family recalled in their statement to the Los Angeles Sentinel. “We will remember Bill for his big heart, his unwavering optimism, his sense of humor, and his belief that one person truly could make a difference. His legacy lives on not only through the institutions he helped shape, but through the countless lives he touched along the way. We take comfort in knowing that somewhere he is out there fishing, telling a funny story and basking in the love of his friends and family.”