John Richard Burke (December 7, 1924 – August 7, 1993) was a Foreign Service officer and the United States Ambassador to Guyana during the Jonestown Massacre. Born in Madison, Wisconsin in 1924, Burke was a Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy during World War II. He also served during the Korean War. After his Korean service, he earned a master's degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Burke was the Ambassador to Guyana from September 30, 1977, to September 22, 1979. Burke died of a heart attack on August 7, 1993, at his home in Arlington, Virginia. His ashes were interred at Arlington National Cemetery.