Dorothy Eloise (Mccans) Kurzrock

Dorothy Eloise (McCans) Kurzrock was born in Oceola, Illinois April 5, 1923. She went to primary school in a 2 room school house. For high school she and her friends would take their roller skates and race home (14 miles) after school, trying to get as far as possible before the neighbor with his car picked them up. Dorothy attended nursing school and tuition was $25 for 3 years. She met Arthur Lowell Kurzrock at White Pines Roller Rink in 1945. Art always loved to tell the story of when they were skating and he was showing off to get her attention, he fell right in front of her. He looked up, saw her knees, and fell in love. They were married a year later.

Their first child, Jeanette, was born in 1947 in Dixon, Illinois. Dennis was also born in Dixon in 1950. The family resided in Dixon where they owned a café. Dorothy would make 14 pies each day as well as working nights as a nurse. Art and Dorothy moved to Bremerton in 1973, where Art worked as a chef and Dorothy started at Retsil Veterans Home as the night supervisor. They bought a 34-foot motor boat and on weekends would take their first grandchild Stephanie, to Blake Island to play. Bryan, the 2nd grandchild was born in 1978, and Aaron came along in 1982. Art was afraid to dock the boat so he made Dorothy do it. She was really good with that big boat.

Art passed away in 1980 and Dorothy sold the boat and started vacationing with her daughter’s family. They would travel on a sailboat in the summer and ski in the winter. Dorothy didn’t learn to ski until she was 60. Prior to that, Art would not allow it because she might get hurt (and would not be able to take care of him), so she learned with her grandkids.

Dorothy passed away on February 6, 2015 after a short bout with infection. She is survived by her 2 children, 3 grandchildren and 5 great-granddaughters, her younger brother Ira McCans and sister Helen Nay. A graveside service will be held at Sunset Lane Cemetery in Port Orchard at 2pm Saturday, Feb 14th.

A Memorial Fund has been established in her name to support the Lord's Neighborhood Diner. An organization established to provide free meals on every Saturday to the hungry and the needy. Send contributions to: Lord's Neighborhood Diner, C/O St Paul's Episcopal Church, 700 Callahan Drive, Bremerton, WA 98311.