Obituary of Joseph George Kurey

Joseph Kurey passed away on September 3rd from natural causes. He was born on January 28, 1925, and grew up in Brooklyn, New York. He attended Dartmouth College for both his undergraduate degree and MBA, which he received from the Tuck School. He married Stella Powlow in 1949 and was married for over 70 years. World War II and the military had a profound influence on his life. He spent five years on active duty and 17 plus years in the Naval Reserve as a Lieutenant Commander. He spoke fondly of his time in the Navy throughout his life. He raised two daughters, Patricia and Suzanne, and two sons, Joseph and Peter and had five grandchildren. He was active in scouting serving as Pack Leader of the local Cub Scout organization that was part of St. Vincent’s Parish in Madison, NJ. He was particularly proud of being part of a group of 18 residents that organized and built a non-profit community pool in Madison, NJ. He served as president of the community pool in the 1970s. He was a life-long supporter of Dartmouth College. He was his graduating classes treasurer and helped to organize many events throughout his life. Up until his late 80s he was still traveling to Hanover, NH, for class reunions. Few people who have attended any college were as loyal to their institution as Joe. Golf was one of Joe’s passions. He frequently golfed at Picatinny Arsenal, a local Army base, when he lived in New Jersey. He golfed many famous courses around the U.S. during his travels. Joe was a lifelong traveler. He enjoyed trips to Hawaii, Germany, Spain, Mexico, Hong Kong and many other countries as well as in the U.S. One of his favorite trips was a boat cruise on the Rhine River in Germany when he was retired. When he traveled, Joe wanted to see as much as possible. He was always up early in the morning and back to his accommodations late in the evening. He had endless energy and a thirst for learning other cultures. His career changed from accounting to sales and marketing after his Korean Conflict duty. He worked for the Benrus Watch Company, Warner Lambert Pharmaceuticals and the Seiko Watch Company during his career as a sales executive. His jobs encompassed specialized markets and included incentive marketing and advertising specialties. Later years included calling on many different types of retail stores. He never considered what he did work because he enjoyed the challenges and the travel it entailed in the U.S. and overseas. Late In his career he joined the business that his wife, Stella, had started, Craftique, located in Chester, NJ. Craftique sold craft supplies as well as finished, hand-crafted items. The business was sold in the early 1990s. He retired to Lake Wallenpaupack in northeastern Pennsylvania. In retirement, he frequented the local pool, swimming three times a week. He was always an avid reader preferring books on history, particularly military history. He liked sitting in his computer room and surfing the web at his house on the lake. Joe was an avid theater goer along with his wife, attending local productions as well as traveling to New York occasionally for Broadway shows. He also loved trips to Branson, MO, to spend time being entertained by the legends of country music. Late in life he moved into assisted living at Bethany Village in Pennsylvania with his wife, Stella. Their days were filled with local trips, crafts and visits from family and friends. It was a peaceful and bucolic way to spend his later years. He will be greatly missed. Calling hours will be Wednesday, September 13th from 6 to 8 PM at Teeters' East Chapel, Inc., 505 Church St, Hawley, PA. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Thursday, September 14th at 10 AM at BVM Queen Of Peace Roman Catholic Church, 314 Chestnut Ave, Hawley by Rev. Richard W. Beck, Pastor. Burial will be in Fort Indiantown Gap VA National Cemetery, Annville, PA on Friday, September 15th at 11 AM. Memorials may be made to BVM Queen Of Peace Roman Catholic Church, 314 Chestnut Ave, Hawley, PA 18428 or National Parkinson Foundation, Inc., Development Dept., C/o Lois Heffernan, 200 SE First St., Suite 800, Miami, FL 33131.