Thomas Paul Kurth, 93 of Upatoi, Ga., passed away Jan. 20, 2024, at his home.
He was born in 1930 in Hinsdale to Melvin John and Loretta Ann (Johnson) Kurth Sr. He graduated from Chicago's St. Patrick's High School in 1948 and was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1951.
While in the military, Tom's impressive shooting skills did not go unnoticed. He won a spot as a member of the seven-person American Skeet Team, wining several events across Europe. He was selected to represent the United States in the skeet shooting event at the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, Finland, where he scored an average 46/50 over several rounds and led his team to a bronze medal.
He continued his passion for shooting after the war, enjoying duck, geese and pheasant hunting with his sons.
Tom was a lifelong devout catholic, the first child baptized from Saint Isaac Jogues and a member of their first eighth-grade graduating class. He married Mary Elizabeth Biederman on Feb. 6, 1954, at St. Francis Catholic Church in La Grange, raised his eight children in the faith and was a member of the Knights of Columbus for more than 30 years. He attended Mass every weekend, volunteered his time to fundraising events and community outreach and admirably donated a portion of his earnings to the Catholic church every week of his adult life.
He is survived by his six children, Anne (James) Tuck, Edward (Camille) Kurth, John Kurth, Lorie (John) Wawak, Richard (Linda) Kurth and Jeffery Silberstorf; 22 grandchildren; 25 great-grandchildren; three great-great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.
He was proceeded in death by his wife of 64 years, Mary; his two sons, Bruce and Thomas Kurth; his daughter-in-law, Anita Kurth; and his brother, Melvin Kurth Jr.
A funeral Mass will be said at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 6, at Saint Isaac Jogues, 306 W. Fourth St., Hinsdale
Burial will follow at Fullersburg Cemetery in Hinsdale.
Brian Powell Funeral Directors of Hinsdale handled the arrangements.
