Jeffrey Sinclair Kurtz

Jeffrey Sinclair Kurtz, age 75, died June 5, 2020, in his Clinton Township, Michigan, home as he battled cancer for the third time. He was born October 8, 1944, to the late Kenneth W. Kurtz and Aileen M. (Nord) Kurtz in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

By his own definition, Jeffrey was first and foremost a father and a husband, followed closely by patriot and Army officer. His early years were spent in Saint Paul; Cincinnati, Ohio; and Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan. He graduated from Grosse Point High School in 1963 and attended college for a year before enlisting in the U.S. Army. After basic training he was accepted into officer candidate school and graduated just prior to his deployment to Vietnam. He served proudly in Vietnam as an infantry officer and was awarded two Purple Hearts and two Bronze Stars for valor. He was honorably discharged and returned to Michigan where he joined the U.S. Army Reserve. As a civilian he worked in employment counseling, building management and was owner of Duraclean by Kurtz. During this time, he also attended Wayne State University as a theatre student, specializing in directing. It was there Jeffrey met the former Martha Ann Roemer in a stagecraft class. After seeing her struggle, he took it upon himself to teach her to tie proper stagecraft knots. They were married in 1978 and settled in Detroit, where they lived 40 years and raised their sons, Adam and Matthew. Theatre remained an important part of their lives and a focus for the family. Both sons earned theatre degrees from Wayne State University. Jeffrey was an active member and volunteer at Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church and School in Detroit for many years. He also volunteered his time and used his Army training in various capacities with the Boy Scouts of America including scoutmaster of Troop 273 in Harper Woods, Michigan.

Jeffrey’s survivors include his wife of 41 years, Martha Ann Roemer Kurtz; his sons, Adam (Clinton Township) and Matthew (North Hollywood, California); two brothers, Kenneth Kurtz (Robert Squier) of Miami, Florida, and Christopher Kurtz (Mary Ann) of Ann Arbor, Michigan; sisters-in-law Karen Roemer and Nancy Roemer, both of Lincoln, Michigan; and two nieces, Anna Kurtz (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) and Caitlin Kurtz (Ypsilanti, Michigan).

A memorial service will be held August 1, 2020, 11 a.m. at Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church, 17100 Chalmers, Detroit. Interment with military honors August 3,2020, 2:30 at Great Lakes National Cemetery, 4200 Belford Road, Holly, Michigan. Masks and social distancing rules are required at both venues. *Contact the funeral home (586-792-5000) for more information regarding current guidelines*

In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations in Jeffrey’s memory to: Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church, mtcalvarydetroit.org or Camp Restore Detroit, camprestore.org/Detroit.