Jack Phillip Kurtz

The sun has set on Mr. Basketball. Well-known sports organizer and businessman Jack Philip Kurtz, 82, passed away peacefully early Tuesday morning at his life-long residence in St. Lambert, Quebec.

His closest friends and family called him Champ. After thousands of matches and countless hours of recruiting and training generations of young kids and turning them on to shooting hoops, the house that Jack built has closed its doors.

Jack was born August 21, 1930, in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan and moved to Montreal from Winnipeg at the age of 10. His was a household name synonymous with St. Lambert CSA and other recognized sporting organizations that had anything to do with organized basketball in Canada in the last half-century.

With a fine eye for numbers and a sharp mind for business, he enrolled at McGill University, where he graduated in commerce in 1951. Along the way, Champ played varsity ball for the McGill Redmen (1948-50). It would be these twin passions – business and basketball – that would be his focus and delight for the next several generations.

Jack worked his way up the corporate ladder as comptroller before becoming manager of Paul's Service Stores for some 130 dry cleaning operations. He eventually would move on to other facets of the clothing industry, from becoming a retail sales manager to designing and running high-end clothing lines in the garment trade. His playing days now over, the tall entrepreneur set his sights on spreading the gospel of basketball, initially to his kids and then community-wide. The basketball league structure and all its trappings would become the foundation he was so driven to create. The St. Lambert Community Sports Association was a basketball force that slowly grew stronger each season and came to be reckoned with among local and regional adversaries across the Montreal area as well as inter-provincial and national meets.

Jack the salesman continued to reinvent himself by day, turning to the field of mergers and acquisitions where his knack for numbers and strategic insight propelled him forward in his business life. He worked successfully for a number of investment houses, but never forgot his true love: the sport to which he was devoted.

Perhaps his crowning achievement was developing and staging the annual mini- basketball tournament held at the local arena on Oak Street each April or May. Starting from its humble beginnings in the mid-sixties with a handful of local teams, the invitational event for roundballers under 12 grew by leaps and bounds into the seventies to attract hundreds of teams across the continent. It was the most sought-after basketball event of its kind. While the outside world knew Jack for his basketball skills and business prowess, it was his own kids who initially gave him the affectionate moniker, Champ. In his later years, Jack would discover another new career in the form of commercial and industrial real-estate. Then retired from active coaching and mentoring, he took up contract bridge and other hobbies.

Jack was the beloved husband of the late Marcelle Thérèse Ruth Gagnon, and proud son of the late Harry Kurtz and late Dorothy Hall. He was the father of his late son, Kim Harry Kurtz. Champ will always be loved and deeply missed by his surviving children: Terry, Karen and David. He will be remembered adoringly by his eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

The Visitation will take place at Collins Clarke Funeral Home, (307 Riverside Drive, St. Lambert J4P 1A7) on Monday, May 6 from 2 to 5 pm and 7 to 9 pm. Visitation will also be from 9 to 11 am on Tuesday, May 7, followed by a celebration of Jack's life at 11 am. A private burial service will follow. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in Jack's memory to The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.

Jack Philip Kurtz

Organisateur de sport bien connu et homme d'affaires Jack Philip Kurtz, 82 ans, est décédé paisiblement tôt mardi matin à sa vie tout au long de résidence à Saint-Lambert, au Québec.

Jack est né le 21 Août 1930, à Moose Jaw, en Saskatchewan et a déménagé à Montréal à partir de Winnipeg, à l'âge de 10 ans.

Avec un bel œil pour les chiffres et un esprit vif pour les affaires, il s'inscrit à l'Université McGill, où il a obtenu son diplôme en commerce en 1951. Sur le chemin, il jouait à la balle universitaire pour les Redmen de McGill (1948-1950).

Jack a fait son chemin jusqu'à l'échelle de l'entreprise pour devenir directeur des Magasins de service de Paul pour quelque 130 opérations de nettoyage à sec. Il finirait par passer à exécuter des lignes de vêtements haut de gamme dans le secteur du vêtement.

Jack a continué à se réinventer, se tournant vers le domaine des fusions et acquisitions où son talent pour les chiffres et une vision stratégique a propulsé en avant dans sa vie professionnelle. Il a travaillé avec succès pour un certain nombre de maisons d'investissement et découvert plus tard une nouvelle carrière dans la forme de l'immobilier commercial et industriel, mais il n'a jamais oublié son amour vrai - le sport pour lequel il a été consacré.

L'Association sportive de Saint-Lambert communauté qu'il a fondée a été une force de basket-ball qui a grandi lentement à compter avec, localement et à meets inter-provincial et national.

Peut-être son couronnement se développait et de la tenue du tournoi annuel de mini-basket qui s'est tenue à l'aréna local. A partir de ses humbles débuts au milieu des années soixante, avec une poignée d'équipes locales, l'événement sur invitation a grandi à attirer des centaines d'équipes à travers le continent au cours des années. Ce fut l'événement de basket-ball le plus convoité du genre.

Jack était l'époux bien-aimé de feu Marcelle Thérèse Ruth Gagnon, et fier fils de feu Harry Kurtz et feu Dorothy Hall. Il est le père de son défunt fils, Kim Harry Kurtz. Jack sera toujours aimé et profondément regretté par ses enfants survivants: Terry, Karen et David. On se souviendra adoration de ses huit petits-enfants et quatre arrière-petits-enfants.

La Visitation aura lieu de 14h00 à 17h00

et 19h00 à 21h00 le lundi 6 mai. Visitation sera également de 09h00 à 11h00 le mardi 7 mai, suivie d'une célébration de la vie de Jack à 11h00. L'adresse est Collins Clarke, 307, promenade Riverside, Saint-Lambert J4P 1A7. Un service funèbre privé suivra.

La famille demande qu'au lieu de fleurs, des dons soient faits dans la mémoire de Jack pour La Fondation des maladies du cœur du Canada.