Donald M. Kurth

Donald Meredith Kurth, 85, of West Hartford, CT, died peacefully, surrounded by family and friends, at Hartford Hospital on November 24, 2018, after a lengthy and courageous battle with prostate cancer. His family is grateful for the extraordinary care provided by Hartford Hospital, especially by W. Jeffrey Baker, MD. Born in Greensburg, PA, on March 19, 1933, Don was the son of the late Dorothy Mae Brown and Harry Meredith Kurth. He was raised in Chevy Chase, MD, and graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School. He attended Dartmouth College and received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1955. A lifelong and talented golfer, Don was elected Captain of the Golf Team at Dartmouth. After graduation, Don joined the U.S. Air Force and ROTC as a navigator, earning the rank of First Lieutenant. Don went on to enjoy a successful career in sales at Xerox, IBM, and Royal Typewriter. Don was a long-standing member of Wampanoag Country Club, West Hartford, CT, where he spent many happy hours on the golf course. In addition to his love for all things sports, Don was a patron of the arts and immensely enjoyed his role as House Manager for the Simsbury Light Opera Company. Don delighted those who knew him with his charm, wit, and keen intellect. He was a well-read and gifted conversationalist and story-teller and could be seen each week starting and completing the NY Times Sunday Crossword puzzle in ink. Don will be fondly remembered for his excellent sense of humor and generous, loving nature. The pets that Don loved and took care of over the years had a wonderful life with him and seemed to sense that he preferred them over their human counterparts. Don was predeceased by Elinor Schenk Kurth in 1997, his beloved wife of 37 years. He is survived by his daughter, Catharine Meredith Kurth of West Hartford CT, his nephew, Andrew Douglass Studdiford of Point Pleasant, NJ, his nieces, Elizabeth Studdiford Hardiman of Redondo Beach, CA, Johanna Trapp Miller of Cary, NC, and Gerada Trapp Starkey of Sedgwick, ME, his nephew-in-law Robert Wallace Starkey of Sedgwick, ME, his cousin, Thomas MacCrae Brown of Chicago, IL, and his longtime companion, Jane Tiemer Croft of Simsbury, CT. A graveside service celebrating Don's life will be held in the spring at Prospect Hill Cemetery, Flemington, NJ. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to: Patient Access Network Foundation, 805 15th Street, NW, Suite 500, Washington, D.C. 20005. For further information or to leave an online condolence, please visit www.holcombefisher.com.