On September 29th, about twenty of Jim Kurck’s friends gathered in Pleasanton to remember him. Jim passed away on August 14th at his home in Fresno; he was 59 years old.
We went around in a circle and told Jim stories. The group included Keith Pretzer and Steve Clark, two of his buddies from high school, and many friends from the Bay Area folkdance community. At least half of us had also performed music with him, either in high school marching band, or for folkdancing. It was a heartwarming gathering and many laughs were shared.
Because of the difficulties in finding his nearest relatives, many weeks passed between Jim’s death and his burial. He was laid to rest on November 6th, next to his parents, at Clovis Cemetery in Clovis, California, northeast of Fresno. Keith Pretzer and Jim Garza, another high school friend, attended. They read a fond remembrance and the Lord’s Prayer.
