Donald J. Kurtz

Donald J. Kurtz, 72 Boardman- Donald James Kurtz, 72, of 4055 South Avenue died of an apparent heart attack Monday morning in St. Elizabeth Health Center. He was born December 3, 1931 in Struthers, a son of Karl H. and Laura M. Wire Kurtz. He moved to Boardman from Struthers in 1984. Mr. Kurtz graduated from Struthers High School in 1951. He then entered the U.S. Marine Corps, serving in the Korean War, being discharged in 1954. He served as a Sergeant in the U.S. Air Force from 1956 to 1965. From 1965 to 1970 he served as a Sergeant in the U.S. Army Signal Corps during which time he served in the Viet Nam Conflict. He received a medical retirement in November 1970 after nearly seventeen years in the U.S. military. He was a member of the Struthers Presbyterian Church where he served as a Deacon and Elder, sang in the choir and was a member of the hand bell choir. He was a member of the Gioras Sunday School class and, with them, was a cook for the weekly meeting of the Struthers Rotary Club. He was a life member and post chaplain of AMVETS, Post 44 and of the Ohio AMVETS, 19th District, a life member of Disabled American Veterans, Chapter 17, Quartermaster of VFW 9947, Cornersburg Non-Commissioned Officers Association, American Legion Post 247 of Lowellville and was the Chaplain and Treasurer of the Mahoning Veterans Memorial. He had been the past commander of the United Veterans Council. He was a member of the AARP of Poland and a member and chaplain of the United Commercial Travelers Council 233. Mr. Kurtz did volunteer work for the VA Clinic in Youngstown and taught âa�A"Office Machine Repairâa�A� in the CETA program. He leaves a son, Matthew Jonathan Kurtz of Youngstown; two sisters, Esther M. (Harry) Hollingbery of Struthers and Naomi H. (Andrew B.) Balog of North Jackson; a brother, Paul E. (Evelyn) Kurtz of Long Island, NY; a half brother, David A. Booty of Struthers; step brothers, Harry W. (Grace) Booty, Jr. of Youngstown, Robert (Delores) Booty of California, Charles (Alice) Booty and Lee (Jean) Booty, of Vienna and Donald (Carol) Booty of Youngstown. A sister Jean E. Kurtz; a step sister, Anna Grace Booty-McLaughlin and a step brother William Booty are deceased. The funeral service will be at 11:00 AM Friday at the Davidson-Becker Funeral Home, Struthers where visitation will be from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM Thursday. Amvets Post 44 will conduct a memorial service at 7:00 PM Thursday. A military flag presentation service will follow the committal service at the Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery, Rittman, Ohio. Contributions may be made to the Mahoning Veterans Memorial at P.O. Box 2512 Youngstown, Ohio 44507

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