Robert Kurtz

Robert J. Kurtz, age 82, of Brainerd passed away Wednesday, June 1, 2011 at Good Samaritan Society Woodland.

Bob was born July 31, 1928 in St. Paul, MN to Charles F. and Maud Katherine (Meyers) Kurtz. He grew up in St. Paul and graduated from Monroe High School in 1946, joined the US Marine Corps and received an honorable discharge in 1948. He attended Santa Ana Jr. College, CA, St. Thomas College and the University of Minnesota.

Throughout his life, Bob held a variety of jobs including two years at Engineering Research Associates in St. Paul, where he worked on the development of the first functional computer system known as Remington Rand UNIVAC. In 1955 he joined AT&T where he worked for the next 31 years. In Minneapolis he was responsible for communication systems involving television video/audio network feeds. At AT&T's government communication management office in Omaha, NE, Bob worked as the interface between AT&T and the Strategic Air Command to maintain their primary alerting system. In 1966 Bob transferred to AT&T's eastern area headquarters engineering office in Washington, DC. He worked there in a variety of management positions until his retirement in 1986 and shortly thereafter, moved back to Minnesota.

Flying was a big part of Bob's life. He obtained his private pilot license when he was a teenager, and went on to earn various flying certificates including flight instructor.

Bob is survived by his wife, Sylvia, and their son Randall (Ariel) of Portland, OR; sons Robert Jr. (Lois) of Apex, NC, Richard of Burke, VA, daughter Theresa of Burke, VA, their mother, Patricia Herfurth of Springfield, VA, and grandchildren Max and Kristin Kurtz. He was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers, Glen and Claude Kurtz, and an infant son.

Funeral Services will be held at 10:30 AM, Wednesday, June 8, 2011 at the Brenny Funeral Chapel in Baxter. Interment with military honors will be at 12:30 PM, Thursday, June 9 at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis (Assembly Area 4).

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the Alzheimer's Association or a charity of your choice.