Skip to content
  • Subscribe
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Instagram
  • Email
  • Home
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment
  • Features
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe to Ray’s Columns
Suburban Chicagoland

Suburban Chicagoland

Original News, Features & Opinion on local and regional news you won't find anywhere else

  • About
    • About
    • Advertise
    • Our Writers
      • Ray Hanania
      • Bill Lipinski
      • Biography: Aaron Hanania
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Policy
    • Reach Out
  • Sections
    • Events
    • Opinion
    • News
    • Features
    • Seniors
    • Comic Strip
  • Library
    • “MIdnight Flight” Online Book
      • Midnight Flight Book Overview
      • Midnight Flight Introduction
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 1
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 2
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 3
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 4
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 5
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 6
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 7
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 8
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 9
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 10
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 11
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 12
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 13
    • Villages, Cities & Towns
    • Federal Office Holders
    • County Officials
    • Legislators
  • Subscribe to Ray’s Columns
  • Comment
  • Podcast
    • Ray Hanania on Politics
    • Two Guys on Politics
    • Hanania on Tiktok
  • News Wire
  • Archive 2004-2013
  • Toggle search form
  • Father and two daughters Jeffery M Leving
    Father’s Fight to Protect his Abused and Badly Beaten Daughters Dads' Rights
  • Illinois Senator Michael Hastings addressing the Orland Township Democratic Organization Wednesday Oct. 12, 2022
    Hastings announces $75,000 grant for Olympia Fields Bicentennial Park renovations Illinois Legislature
  • Alleged Member of Chicago Street Gang Charged With Soliciting the Murder of Senior Law Enforcement Official Involved in “Operation Midway Blitz” Crime
  • IIEC Logo
    The Energy Omnibus Bill will increase rates over the rest of this decade as Illinois families and businesses toil under higher utility costs Business
  • Thaddeus Kosciuszko, Polish hero of the American Revolution. After arriving in America in 1776, Kosciuszko joined the Continental Army. As a skilled engineer, he made significant contributions to the war by designing fortifications for several strategic places such as Philadelphia, West Point, and Saratoga. Kosciuszko later returned to Poland to lead his native military in a 1794 uprising. In Detroit, Courtesy of WIkipedia
    Cook County Treasurer Pappas showcases Polish photographer’s first-ever American exhibit and honors Polish American Heritage Month in Chicago Cook County
  • On Saturday, October 4th, Cook County Commissioner Frank J. Aguilar hosted the Fifth Annual 16th District Dia de los Muertos Resource Fair at his district office. Partnering with Commissioner Aguilar were the Village of Lyons, Lyons School District 103, Teamsters Local 777, and Rincon Family Services.
    Commissioner Frank J. Aguilar Hosts Fifth Annual Dia de los Muertos Family Resource Fair  Cook County
  • Jesse Jackson Jr July 2025
    Jesse Jackson Jr. Launches Candidacy for Congress Civil Rights
  • Cook County Treasurer Maria Papas
    Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas to Celebrate Diwali by Recognizing Indian Community Leaders Cook County
  • Andrew Boutros US Attorney Illinois
    Statement of US Attorney Andrew S. Boutros and Federal Law Enforcement Leadership in Chicago on Ongoing Criminal Immigration Enforcement Operations Chicago
  • Cook County Treasurer Maria Papas
    The 5 Most Common Mistakes Homeowners Make with Property Taxes Cook County
  • Road construction cement truck. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania
    Hastings: $123 million in IDOT projects will improve South Suburban roads through collaboration with local leaders construction
  • Source: Electric Power Monthly - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)
    Ratepayers will lose in the rush to approve battery storage electricity legislation in Springfield Business
  • Joyful reunion photo courtesy of Jeffery M. Leving & Assc law firm
    Leving Team Prevented a Father’s Wrongful Separation from His Child Dads' Rights
  • CTF Illinois Orland Park, 18230 Orland Pkwy, Orland Park, IL 60467
    Hastings, Giannoulias announce opening of temporary driver services facility in Orland Park Baby Boomers
  • Emagine Theater Pink popcorn
    Popcorn with a purpose: Emagine Theatres brings back Pink Caramel Corn to support Pink Fund during Breast Cancer Awareness Month Business

Summit loses a friend

Posted on January 24, 2019January 24, 2019 By Steve Metsch No Comments on Summit loses a friend
SHARE THIS STORY
            
 
  

Summit loses a friend

Joseph Kurcz donated  land for firehouse

By Steve Metsch

Joseph Kurcz never forgot his roots.

He was born in Summit, attended school in Summit, met his childhood sweetheart in Summit, raised their six children in Summit, worked his way from janitor to owner of a successful business in Summit and even donated land for a firehouse in Summit.

He was loyal, faithful, honest, a good father and a hard worker, daughter Maureen Kurcz, of Burr Ridge, said Jan. 14.

Mr. Kurcz, 92, died peacefully Jan. 12  at his home in Burr Ridge with his family in attendance.

 

Joseph Kurcz and his granddaughter at the dedication of the Summit Fire Station. (Photo by Steve Metsch)

 

He owned Williams-Hayward Protective Coatings on 59th Street in Summit. Land just east of the company is what he donated to the village for construction of the fire station, which, 20 years later last October, was named the “Kurcz Family Summit Fire Department.”

Mr. Kurcz was there that day, his 92nd birthday. He sat in a wheelchair, but his mind was sharp as he recalled details about his life.

“I never totally expected this. It’s a very big honor for me,” he said that day.

He donated the land “because I’m a citizen of Summit, I was born and raised in Summit, and I could afford donating it.”

He said his late wife, Marge, 50 when she died in 1978, “would love it and be totally honored like we all are,” he said.

Maureen said her parents met when they were 15 and 14, had a “storybook romance.”

“My grandmother, my mother’s mother, really loved my dad. When they broke up, as couples do, my father would communicate with letters with my grandmother. It kept that fire alive,” Maureen said.

Her father was a man of great faith, she said, which helped him cope with the deaths of Marge and two adult sons, Joseph and Patrick, Maureen said.

A Navy veteran of World War II, Mr. Kurcz served on a destroyer, surviving a typhoon, she said. That Navy background probably led him to conduct inspections of his kids’ rooms, she said.

“He was the embodiment of that generation. You just pushed through. If we got sick as kids, he’d ask, ‘Can you walk?’ Yes. ‘Do you need to go to the emergency room?’ No. ‘Are you dying?’ No. ‘Okay, you can go to school,” she recalled with a laugh.

Even in his advanced years, he still showed up at work daily, said his eldest son, Wayne Kurcz, of La Grange Highlands.

The elder Kurcz bought the company in 1972. He had started working there on the dock after the war. At work, Joseph Kurcz developed the first water-based coatings that could be used on railroad cars.

“We are the most well-known water-based manufacturers of environmentally safe coatings for rail industry and coil industry,” Wayne Kurcz said.

Visiting with him Saturday morning, Maureen said she thanked her father for “his bravery.”

“He was brave when my mom died. My dad had all these children and a business, and now his beloved beautiful wife, whom he adored, was gone. My dad was a man of faith and he truly believed that we will all be together again,” Maureen said.

At the firehouse dedication, Wayne Kurcz told an amusing story about his father, a Cubs fan, who was coming home in 1945 after serving in World War II.

He had saved all his money from the Navy. On the way back, it was Game Seven of the World Series between the Cubs and Detroit Tigers.

“What did Dad do? He bet all his money with a fellow from Detroit on the seventh game. Anybody who is a Cub fan knows what happened to that,” the younger Kurcz said to laughter.

Joseph Kurcz said that “hurt,” but he was finally rewarded by the Cubs’ 2016 Word Championship. He attended one game of the Series, having fun despite the Cubs losing.

Mr. Kurcz served on the Scholarship Committee for Argo High School, on the Des Plaines Valley Planning Commission for the Village of Summit, and was a longtime member of Des Plaines VFW Post 6863.

Services have been held.

— Desplaines Valley News

newswire info
  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Steve Metsch
Steve Metsch
Steve Metsch is an award winning veteran reporter who previously worked for the Daily Southtown Newspapers, Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times. Metsch is a writer and editor at the Southwest News Newspaper group based in suburban Chicago, and a freelance writer a health magazine, the Suburban Life, the Naperville Sun, and other organizations.
Email Steve Metsch at [email protected]
Steve Metsch
Latest posts by Steve Metsch (see all)
  • Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band are still rockin’ - August 10, 2023
  • Weathering personal storms - July 20, 2023
  • Countryside solution irks some - July 20, 2023
NPV: 45
  • Tweet

SHARE THIS STORY
            
 
  
 
 
 
           
News, Suburban Chicagoland Tags:donated land, firehouse, Joseph Kurcz, summit

Post navigation

Previous Post: Step ahead of the state
Next Post: Residents deserve answers from school officials, not a snub

Related Posts

  • Jeffery M. Leving fights for your rights
    Video Interview: Jeffery Leving discusses mission to defend Dads’ Rights Chicago
  • easons 52, a fresh grill and wine bar, is opening in Orland Park on Monday, November 4.
    Seasons 52 restaurant arrives in Orland Park Features
  • David Crowley, Milwaukee County Executive. Photo courtesy of Milwaukee County
    ICYMI: County Executive David Crowley Continues Push for Revenue Solution Ahead of Legislative Session News
  • Source: Electric Power Monthly - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)
    Ratepayers will lose in the rush to approve battery storage electricity legislation in Springfield Business
  • 19th Ward Ald. Matt O'Shea
    Rep. Newman Ald. O’Shea announce improvements to eliminate train blockages Briefs
  • Lightfoot shuts small businesses in futile drive to stop street gang violence breaking news

More Related Articles

Mark Cuban addresses Judson University in Elgin, May 16, 2019. Photo courtesy of Judson University Mark Cuban shares business insights and inspiring stories at Judson University Business
Cook County GOP Chairman Endorses Bruce Rauner for Re-election Government
Cook County Commissioner Frank Aguilar Cook County Commissioner Frank Aguilar wins Democratic primary election Cook County
Orland Township Scholarship Foundation members, Supervisor and Foundation President Paul O’Grady (left), along with Orland Park Trustee Michael Maratea (right) and Highway Commissioner Antonio Rubino congratulate the scholarship recipients. Pictured are: (l-r) Standing: Supervisor Paul O’Grady, George Winistorfer, James McSheffery, Adam Winistrofer, Colin Peck, Kevin Hurley, Pranav Ram Madan, Brett Laird, Madeline Barone, Emmily Scumaci, Trustee Michael Maratea, and Highway Commissioner Anotnio Rubino. Seated: Kyla Cassandra Santos, Nora Whitton, Alexis Krueger, and Alyssa Cozzolino. Orland Township presents Scholarship awards Cook County
Marie Newman, candidate for the 3rd District Marie Newman and Interfaith Coalition condemn Art Jones’ 3rd District congressional candidacy elections
Metra 207 pulls in lightly smoking and hauling 6 cars into Mokena – Hickory Creek station. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Opportunity, Transitions coming to Mokena station area Business

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Login with your Social ID
  • OPINION
  • 06-04-25 Two Guys on Politics Background Zoom LOGO with images
    Video Podcast: Trump Kimmel Kirk Great American Divide Illegal Aliens polling and Illegal Aliens and ICE
    September 20, 2025
  • Illinois House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch speaking at a West Side affordable housing dedication
    Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, one of the best candidates to become Illinois Governor
    September 7, 2025
  • Cook County Treasurer Maria Papas
    What You’re Missing on Your Property Tax Bill
    September 5, 2025
  • 05-23-25 Jeffery M. Leving
    Children of divorce caught in the middle during the holidays
    August 27, 2025
  • Cook County Treasurer Maria Papas
    We Can Help You Understand Your Property Taxes—In Nearly Any Language
    August 8, 2025
Subscribe to Ray Hanania's column graphic

Enter Your Email to Subscribe to Ray Hanania’s Columns

  • The-Kings-Pawn-Book-300-x-300.png

Mohammed Faheem The Lightning Strike Radio

  • NEWS
  • Father and two daughters Jeffery M Leving
    Father’s Fight to Protect his Abused and Badly Beaten Daughters
    October 9, 2025
  • Illinois Senator Michael Hastings addressing the Orland Township Democratic Organization Wednesday Oct. 12, 2022
    Hastings announces $75,000 grant for Olympia Fields Bicentennial Park renovations
    October 8, 2025
  • Alleged Member of Chicago Street Gang Charged With Soliciting the Murder of Senior Law Enforcement Official Involved in “Operation Midway Blitz”
    October 8, 2025
  • IIEC Logo
    The Energy Omnibus Bill will increase rates over the rest of this decade as Illinois families and businesses toil under higher utility costs
    October 8, 2025
  • Thaddeus Kosciuszko, Polish hero of the American Revolution. After arriving in America in 1776, Kosciuszko joined the Continental Army. As a skilled engineer, he made significant contributions to the war by designing fortifications for several strategic places such as Philadelphia, West Point, and Saratoga. Kosciuszko later returned to Poland to lead his native military in a 1794 uprising. In Detroit, Courtesy of WIkipedia
    Cook County Treasurer Pappas showcases Polish photographer’s first-ever American exhibit and honors Polish American Heritage Month in Chicago
    October 8, 2025
John Kass Columns

Order the book PoweR PR; Ethnic Activists Guide to Strategic Communications

YOUTUBE VIDEOS

CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE TO RAY HANANIA'S YOUTUBE VIDEOS


Click here to view the video on YouTube or use the widget below.

Follow Ray Hanania at
Twitter
Facebook
TitkTok
BlueSky
RayHanania Columns

Creative Commons License
All works on this website is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Do not edit original work. Give credit to the original source.

Categories

Copyright © 2022 Suburban Chicagoland & Urban Strategies Group

Powered by PressBook Premium theme