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Philip W. Kurze, 69, of Colchester, beloved son, husband, father, grandfather, and friend, passed away peacefully after a long and courageous battle with cancer on Dec. 12. He was born on July 29, 1949, in Middletown to John and Doris (Heft) Kurze.

He married Jo-Ann Robbins on July 6, 1974, and settled in Colchester, where they raised their daughter. They were married for 44 years. He worked at Whelen Engineering for more than 25 years. During that time, he grew a love for emergency warning systems and became the vice president of motorsports. He was a devoted supporter and fan of short track racing and got so much joy from being a part of the Whelen Modified Tour family.

He was a proud supporter of Central Connecticut State University and their athletic department. Phil was also a past president of the Bo-Dyn Bobsled Project, and was so incredibly proud to see the Night Train win their first Olympic gold medal in 2010.

He was predeceased by his father John and his brother John, Jr. He is survived by mother Doris, his wife Jo-Ann, his daughter Katharine Ahlgren and her husband Christopher, and his three grandchildren, Ryan, Hadley, and Bode.

Visitation was held on Dec. 16 at the Robinson, Wright & Weymer Funeral Home, 34 Main St. in Centerbrook. Funeral services were held on Dec. 17 at The First Congregational Church of Deep River, 1 Church St. in Deep River. Interment services will be privately held by the Kurze family in the Fountain Hill Cemetery in Deep River. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Shriners Children’s Hospital Burn Care Unit, 51 Blossom St., Boston, MA 02114, or to the Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, KS 66675-8517. To share a memory of Phil or leave a condolence for his family, please visit www.rwwfh.com.