Kurt Harlacher

Kurt Harlacher passed away at home on June 17th, 2026. He was born in New York City in 1954 and resided there for the first few years of his life. As a child he moved to Jefferson Township, New Jersey where he spent his formative years. He graduated from Jefferson Township High School in 1972 where he competed in Cross Country and Track & Field. He then attended Syracuse University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering in 1976.

After graduation, Kurt worked for American Cyanamid and Procter & Gamble. Following this he ran his own engineering consulting firm in Somerville. He then worked for BASF directing production lines in New Jersey before supervising facility construction in Wyandotte, Michigan and Worcester, Massachusetts. Kurt returned to New Jersey to run the site of BASF’s North American Headquarters in 1993, first in Mount Olive and later Florham Park.

Kurt resided for over 30 years in Long Valley. While raising his children, he coached them in baseball, basketball, soccer, and track. He also developed a love of the outdoors in his children with numerous hiking and camping trips. For many years Kurt and his family attended the Allen Family reunion in Nags Head, North Carolina, Lake Tahoe, California, Dylan, Colorado, and various other sites throughout the United States and Canada of which Kurt led the planning for 10+ years. For leisure Kurt took up running and cycling, especially along the Columbia Trail in Morris and Hunterdon Counties. He also ran in a number of local 5k’s and with a running group of his colleagues at BASF.

After retiring from BASF Kurt became very active with Nitro Gym in Chester where he made many close friends who he met in his fitness and yoga classes. He also liked to travel, visiting Denmark, Canada, Portugal, Spain, the Dominican Republic, France, Andorra, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, San Marino, Vatican City, Hungary, Czechia, Slovakia, Peru, and Brazil as well as over 35 states and territories over the course of his life. Kurt enjoyed hiking, camping, historical sites and battlefields, museums, and seeing various National Parks throughout the United States. Kurt was an avid reader and took pride in completing home improvement projects throughout the years. Following his sons, he recently became a Christian and was an active member of Valley View Chapel in Long Valley, being baptized and volunteering regularly with the church.

Kurt is survived by two sons: Craig and his wife Caroline of Bedminster and Lars and his wife Brigitte of Vernon; three grandchildren (and one due in August): Benjamin and Nathan of Bedminster and Samuel of Vernon; a brother: Eric and his wife Annie of Burbank, CA; and many cousins, family, and friends. He was predeceased by his parents Walter and Sarah “Sal” Harlacher.

Memorial Visitation will be held at Goble Funeral Home, 22 Main St, Sparta, NJ 07871-1904, US, on June 25, 2026, from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm with a service starting at 7:15pm.

A Committal Service will take place at Sparta Cemetery, 32 Main Street, Sparta, NJ 07871, US, on June 26, 2026, at 11:00 am with a luncheon to follow.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Long Valley Community Assistance Program (LVCAP) which Kurt has proudly supported for years by clicking the link below.