All you need to know about Lynda Billa Burke can be found on her Facebook page under “Books.” She lists only one – When I Grow Up I want To Be…
It tells the story of Gino Narboni, Col. USAF, MC (Ret.), including his life’s journey from French North Africa to South Texas. It is the story of a man who did it all. And more. A man who apparently could never sit still. A man whose courage, curiosity and intelligence are overwhelming. For example, he flew for the Israeli Air Force in the War of Independence in 1948. As with Narboni, Lynda Billa Burke’s curiosity and passion for life are her driving force.
You are an Alamo Heights City Council member; did you grow up in Alamo Heights?
Everyone thinks I was born and raised in Alamo Heights. But that’s not the case. And some people are very surprised to learn I grew up on San Antonio’s Southside. I went to Kate Schenck Elementary School, Harry H. Rogers Middle School and graduated from Highlands High School – Go Owls. There are a lot of us Highlands grads living in 78209. I was born in August 1953.
What are some of your childhood memories?
I used to ride my bike through the old Holt Machinery headquarters near my home. To this day I can still smell the sulfur wells we had in our neighborhood from the old Hot Wells Resort. I learned to swim in those sulfur pools, and I even took swimming lessons at Hot Wells. (Laughin,g she adds,) I came home smelling like rotten eggs!
But there was a 78209 connection?
Yes. My dad’s bookkeeper lived in Alamo Heights. And our family owned property in the area for years, including the Sunset Ridge Shopping Center on North New Braunfels Avenue.
Where did you go to college?
I graduated from Parsons School of Design in New York City. But before Parsons I attended San Antonio College. I studied advertising design at Parsons.
How did NYC compare to San Antonio?
Wow. It was a culture shock moving to New York. I call it the “boot camp of life.” And frankly, if you can survive in New York, you can survive anywhere. The first time I saw real poverty was in New York — a homeless person on the street. It was so sad that people had to live like that. It troubled me. I have a very vivid memory of a guy with trash tied to him in winter to keep warm. Here I was in the wealthiest city in the world and people were living on the streets. I think it is fair to say that helped shape my commitment to helping people in need.
You didn’t stay in NYC. Why?
I did not. After graduating from Parsons, I came back to San Antonio. I like to say I missed Mexican food, which is true. I lived on the corner of Broadway and 14th Streets. Kinky Friedman used to hang out there, and we became friends. I think everyone wants to live on the edge just to see what it’s like. That thought may explain a lot about who and what I am.
You lived on the Southside again after your return from NYC. Why move to Alamo Heights?
My husband, Jimmy, and I loved our house and property on the Southside. But Jimmy’s mom’s health deteriorated, so we moved to be closer to her. Jimmy went to St. Luke’s Episcopal School and then TMI. The neighborhood was familiar to him. TMI was located in Alamo Heights until 1989.
What is it about you and elective office? You’ve served as a member of a school board, the San Antonio City Council, Alamo Heights City Council and the Edwards Underground Water District Board. What’s next?
I don’t pick my office. Offices pick me. What’s next for me? I guess we’ll see what happens. But I do like making a difference for people.
You say you want to make a difference for people. Are you curious about how they live?
When I travel, I like to see how other people live. My first trip to Japan I broke off from the official group (San Antonio City Council visiting Toyota) and went to see how people really lived, what their lives were like. I got into trouble for that. But I wanted to see firsthand what life was like for Japanese citizens. I’ve done the same thing when I visited Finland, Moscow, St. Petersburg and elsewhere.
I believe everyone has a story. People are people no matter where they live. And I love hearing their stories.
What would 78209 readers be surprised to learn about you?
I have competed in the Baja 500 off-road race in Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula. I rode a Russian nuclear ice breaker at the North Pole. I used to work on my old red Corvette convertible. And I love to create things – art objects – in my studio at home.
I like to buy old linens because they remind me of my folks. It’s the same with buying old towels because they were connected to someone. They may have initials, but it doesn’t matter if I even know to whom it was connected. It’s a link, a connection to their lives, and I like that.
You have done so many things. Any advice for young people?
Of the things I’ve done, everything is good. My life has been so good. To young people: Ask questions and be interested in the world around you. You need to get rid of your iPads and smart- phones and start talking to each other and to adults. Who knows how to write a real thank you note these days? But most all, treat people how you want to be treated.
By Ron Aaron Eisenberg
