Obituary of Gerald John Kurtenbach
Gerald John Kurtenbach was born in Saskatoon at St. Paul’s hospital on December 17, 1965. His mom and dad were Shirley and Ed Kurtenbach, both of Cudworth Saskatchewan. He had three brothers, Murray (Laurie Ann), Larry (Jacqui) and Doug (Cindy). He married Karen Sauve in 1990 and had two boys, Matthew Phillip and Samuel Louis. He was pre deceased by his son Matthew who left us in 2018 and his mother who passed in 2010.
Gerald had many and varied talents. He loved motorcycles, quads, boats and most toys. He was a shop foreman in Neon sign companies for many years; he had the ability to build things in his head, long before he actually made them.
Gerald loved his boys Matt and Sam, they were the world to him and he enjoyed every moment he spent with them. Whether it was at the lake, riding motorcycles, flying drones, or mucking around the sign shop. Everything he did, he did for them. Matt said that he inherited his love of bikes from his dad. Before he passed, he rebuilt a bike in Victoria and was very proud of that.
Sam was his focus in his later years, he wanted to ensure that Sam was taken care of and spent lots of time talking with him and helping him understand where he was at. Sam was by his side ensuring that his dad was taken care of and comfortable. Sam has become the man his father wanted him to be.
Gerald, like his two brothers, Murray and Doug owned and rode Harley Davidsons, a passion he has passed on to his son Sam who now takes on the task of maintaining that bike so he can enjoy the road like his Dad did. Gerald was very close to each of his brothers for many reasons. Gerald and Murray were the best of friends. Murray brought each of his brothers into the world of cars and motorcycles but he and Gerald really shared that passion. They rode together, worked on them and each used the others talents on many projects. Gerald loved to spend time with Doug and his family and one of the last trips he took and really enjoyed was to Doug’s family cabin at Mereen Lake, where there may have been an illicit, but impressive fireworks show. Gerald and Larry married sisters in Jacqui and Karen Sauve, so each enjoyed having a foot in each other’s families over the years.
Shirley ensured that “the boys” remained as close as possible by saying frequently “did you call your brother?’ After her passing, they did as she asked as much as possible. A cabin was purchased for a short while so that they could share it with their families at Wakaw Lake, and after that the family did all they could to attend functions on holidays, weddings and the like. Despite some bumps in the road, each of them were at Gerald’s bedside when he fought his last fight.
While Gerald knew many people, he shared special friendships with only a few. Chief among them was Ray Loden, who was his best friend for many years. Ray introduced Gerald the world of art. Ray is a very talented artist and brought others like Alison Norlin and her husband Jay into Geralds circle. Ray and Gerald enjoyed installing some of Ali’s impressive art in places like Calgary, and New Orleans. The four of them met and enjoyed each others friendship many times over the years, and Gerald was always very proud to know them all. Each of them in their own way in the last years supported Gerald and helped him deal with his challenges and the family thank them for everything they did for him.
The family will hold a private gathering that Gerald wanted to happen and there is no planned service. People that want to remember Gerald can make a donation to the St. Paul’s Palliative Care Unit.
Gerald had a wicked sense of humor and was known for his quick, biting wit. So in closing, a moth walks into a podiatrists office…..