Kurt Alfred Dettmers

Kurt Alfred Rudolf Dettmers was born April 14th, 1927 in Bremen, Germany to Wilma Schall Dettmers and Hermann Heinrich Dettmers. His only sister, Marie, is 14 months younger than him. In 1934, as Kurt reached the age of 7, his father saw the necessity of leaving Germany, and The Hitler Regime.

The family moved to New York City, residing in The Bronx, where the children received their education, including German School on Saturdays. At 16, Kurt was fortunate to have Office & Messenger-Boy jobs with ESSO at 30 Rock. At 18, he joined the US Navy, reaching Japan as the war ended. The GI Bill helped him complete his education at Marietta College (Ohio) with a degree in Petroleum Engineering where he graduated in 1953. He served as Yearbook Editor for 2 years, and was an active member of Delta Upsilon Fraternity.

After graduation, he accepted a job in Tulsa, OK with Carter Oil Company. There he met Pamela Denner (love at first sight!) at a YWCA dance, and they married on June 19, 1955 at The Boston Avenue Methodist Church. They started married life in Magnolia, AR, where their first son, Kyle was born. In March of 1957 Kurt accepted a job with Gulf Oil Corp. (Mene Grande) in Venezuela. Two more sons, Eric and Mark were born in San Tome, Venezuela. It was an Idyllic oil camp with many young American, Venezuelan and European families living together. Kurt served in various management positions in Eastern and Western Venezuela, and Caracas over his 27 years there. A year after Venezuela nationalized its oil industry in 1973, then President, Carlos Andrés Pérez awarded Kurt with The Order of Francisco de Miranda which honors Venezuelan citizens and foreigners who had contributed to the sciences, to the progress of the country, to the humanities, or who had exemplified outstanding merits.

In 1983, the family moved back to the United States where Pam and Kurt settled in Kingwood, TX as his sons attended and graduated from Texas Universities. In Kingwood, Kurt enjoyed his retirement with travel, gardening, golf, and social activities including various bridge groups. He also enjoyed an active involvement in his Presbyterian Church.

Becoming a grandfather (Opa) was a treasured addition to Kurt’s life. Kurt is survived by his loving wife Pamela, his sons Kyle, Eric, and Mark, Mark’s wife Soraya, and their children, Nicholas, Christian, and Sofia, Kurt’s sister Marie Thomas and her children Alfred Thomas and Lisa Thomas Schwartz, her husband Michael and their children, Amy, Ryan, and Willi.

Kurt lived his last few years with Alzheimer’s. The one constant through the progression of this unforgiving disease were his loving smiles for family, friends, caregivers, and the Presbyterian Sunday-Service volunteers. The world is a better place for his having been here.