Obituary of Philip Wayne Kurze

Philip W. Kurze, 69 of Colchester, beloved son, husband, father, grandfather and friend, passed away peacefully after a long and courageous battle with cancer on December 12, 2018. He was born on July 29, 1949 in Middletown, CT to John and Doris (Heft) Kurze. He married Jo-Ann Robbins on July 6, 1974 and settled in Colchester where they raised their daughter. They were married for 44 years. He worked at Whelen Engineering for over 25 years. During that time, he grew a love for emergency warning systems and became the Vice President of Motorsports. He was a devoted supporter and fan of short track racing and got so much joy from being a part of the Whelen Modified Tour family. He was a proud supporter of Central Connecticut State University and their athletic department. Phil was also a past president of the Bo-Dyn Bobsled Project, and was so incredibly proud to see the Night Train win their first Olympic gold medal in 2010. He was predeceased by his father, John, and his brother John Jr. He is survived by mother Doris, his wife Jo-Ann, his daughter Katharine Ahlgren and her husband Christopher, and his three grandchildren Ryan, Hadley and Bode. Visitation will be held on Sunday, December 16, 2018 from 2:00PM to 5:00PM at the Robinson, Wright & Weymer Funeral Home, 34 Main Street in Centerbrook. Funeral services will be held on Monday, December 17, 2018 at 11:30AM at The First Congregational Church of Deep River, 1 Church Street in Deep River. Interment services will be privately held by the Kurze family in the Fountain Hill Cemetery in Deep River. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Shriners Children’s Hospital Burn Care Unit, 51 Blossom Street, Boston, MA 02114 or to the Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, KS. 66675-8517. To share a memory of Phil or leave a condolence for his family please visit www.rwwfh.com