Kurt Thomas Jorgensen

Kurt Thomas Jorgensen met our Heavenly Father on January 21, 2026. Kurt was born July 22, 1954 in Aurora, IL to Harry and Carol Jorgensen. They moved to Prairie Village, KS when Kurt was two years old. The family soon welcomed his brother Kyle and sister Kim, and the three siblings shared an idyllic childhood in Prairie Village. He received his first motorcycle, a dirt bike, for his 16th birthday — much to the dismay of many of his friends’ parents. This sparked his life-long passion for motorcycles. Ever industrious, he enjoyed working as a sacker at Payless Grocery to the point that he quit the school swim team because it interfered with work. He graduated from Shawnee Mission East in 1973 and maintained friendships with many childhood and high school friends.

Kurt arrived at Baker University, Baldwin City, KS in his new silver Gremlin X in the fall of 1973. He soon joined the Zeta Chi fraternity and would remain close friends with his brothers. In the fall of 1976, his senior year, he met the love of his life, Sally Stoll, over the offer of an Oreo cookie. Kurt and Sally (or Foo Foo and Hot Lips) quickly fell in love. When Sally was named ZX Sweetheart, it was likely due to his brothers’ respect for Kurt. Kurt was a strong member of the Baker bowling team, which won the conference title in 1977. He graduated in May 1977 with a B.S. degree in business. That June he began work at King Radio Corp. in Lenexa while living at his parents’ newly built house in Leawood South, which bordered a golf course.

Kurt spent so much time driving to Baldwin to see Sally that they decided to marry before she graduated. He proposed under Baker’s “famous” grape arbor. They were married July 8, 1978 in Holton, KS. After Sally’s graduation in May 1979, they moved to Overland Park, KS. It was at this time that Kurt joined his dad at Jorgensen Sales as a manufacturer’s rep. He found great joy and took great pride in his work. He cherished the many friendships he made through business. And he was proud to have his son, Ryan, working by his side in recent years.

Kurt and Sally’s earliest years of marriage were filled with pizza and movies, ski trips, Royals games, and long weekends on lakes with friends. This is also when Kurt intensified his other life-long passion, tennis. They bought their first home on Switzer in Overland Park in 1981. Immediately they brought their cat, Alvin, who passed at nearly 20 years of age, home from the Stoll farm. Most importantly, they gave life to their first son, Ryan Thomas, on October 8, 1982. Kurt fell in love for the second time. Then Kyle Edward was born on August 23, 1985, and Kurt fell in love for the third time.

The family moved to a newly built home in south Overland Park’s old Stanley area in December 1986. Eric Ross was born on January 13, 1989. Kurt fell in love for the fourth time. Previously belonging to Valley View Methodist Church, the family joined Stanley Presbyterian in 1991 and soon became active in the life of the church.

We built a new home in a newly developed neighborhood in south Overland Park in 1992. Our lives were filled to the brim with baseball and basketball games, tennis matches, and trips to the neighborhood pool. Kurt became an Indian Guides leader and took his boys on many camping/canoe trips. Due to the inevitable play with sharp sticks and fire, Mom’s mantra was “Don’t ask. Don’t tell.”

What a blessing our neighbors have been to us! All of us take care of each other, and Kurt was central in that endeavor. He joined the unincorporated group the wives refer to as “garage men”: the vital guys who share every implement and jointly maintain and beautify the neighborhood. Amongst them, Kurt was jokingly referred to as the mayor and Gladys Kravitz. Many neighborhood dogs will be missing his love as well.

Kurt loved helping others. Anyone who left their car in our driveway for more than 10 minutes returned to find it washed and detailed by “the good fairy.” Kurt had been a blood donor since 1985, donating 19 gallons of blood over 156 visits, saving an estimated total of 468 lives. Others will also benefit from the donation of his organs and tissue.

Kurt loved tennis. His first club was KC Racquet. Then came Overland Park Racquet Club and finally Elite Tennis. He made many beloved friends through tennis. He was a coach to many as well — children, teens, and adults.

Another passion was his yard. Seeded, mowed, trimmed, and edged to near perfection, it was of great pride to him.

Kurt made friends everywhere he went. He knew the names of those who served him at restaurants and those who worked at the local grocery store. He would introduce them to his family by saying, “I want you to meet my friend.” He got a big kick out of one recurring question from strangers: “Do you know who you look like?,” the answer being Harrison Ford, if not Indiana Jones or Han Solo.

His greatest pride by far was his family. Kurt fell in love for the fifth and sixth times when grandsons Edward Thomas and Leon William were born in 2013 and 2016. There are not adequate words to describe the love he felt for his grandsons. Because Kurt always had a child-like spirit, they were the best of buddies.

Kurt was very active and involved in the life of our church, Cornerstone Presbyterian, Leawood, where he was a faithful member of the Children's Ministry team. The children adored Mr. Kurt.

His pets have now met Kurt at the Rainbow Bridge — childhood dogs Midnight and Sam, family dogs Maggie, Freddie, Abby, and Maui, grand dogs Jerry, Tease, Indie, Oskie, and Annie, and Alvin the cat. They were all very well loved by Kurt. His dog JoJo is now mourning his loss.

Kurt left behind Sally, his wife of nearly 48 years, his sons Ryan, Kyle, and Eric, his grandsons Edward and Leon, his sister Kim and husband David Killen, his nephews Jack and wife Allison, and Mark, wife Grace, and baby Brooks, many beloved cousins, Sally’s extended family, whom he considered his own, treasured friends, and his dog JoJo.

Kurt’s Facebook bio read, “Love my wife and family! Love life and want to help others in need.”

A visitation will be held at Cornerstone Presbyterian Church, 13300 Kenneth Road, Leawood, KS on January 30, 2026, from 10:00 am to 11:00 am, followed by the funeral service at 11:00 am.