Thursday, July 31, 2008

My cousin, Milton

Milton was a character. No paragraph or page can capture him. So the best I can do is say a few words about how he dealt with me, a cousin who’s almost young enough to be his son. In short, he treated me extraordinarily well. He treated me as family, as a friend, without any condescension or superiority due to age.

We never actually got to know each other until I was an adult. (If anyone is wondering how that could have happened given the disparity in ages and the fact that I live on the east coast, it is due to the fact that although my dad, Edwin, was Milton’s uncle, they grew up as boyhood friends. I got to know Milton because they stayed in touch.) He seemed to take a genuine interest in what I was doing professionally, and I responded by making it a point to visit if business travel brought me anywhere near the bay area. After that he almost seemed to look out for me. Once, when I delayed going home so I could visit over a weekend, he got me invited to a neighbor’s 75th birthday party that he and June were going to. He wasn’t going to let a little thing like a prior engagement keep him from taking care of family. The host might be a little inconvenienced given that the birthday party involved a catered sit-down dinner in the neighbor’s home, but Milton had firm convictions of what the right thing to do was. Those convictions may have been right – or maybe they weren’t – but he acted on them as he thought best. That resolve to follow through with what he thought was right is a keystone in his character.

Another example of his generosity in looking out for me comes to mind. I decided to take Kathy, my wife, and our two children to California for a two week tour. Naturally I contacted Milton to see if we could stop by. Before the conversation ended, he had me committed to flying in to San Francisco and then taking one of his cars for the entire time. We had a great time. (I have to add that as it turned out, his generosity in that case meant letting us take June’s Cadillac. It’s another example where someone else had to bend to give him room to be his generous self. Thank you, June.)

Although I could easily go on with anecdotes I’d rather close with one observation that sums up what I think made Milton very special. I guess the right word is passionate, but that word needs some explanation. When he developed an interest in something, he was a true enthusiast. When an idea caught his fancy, he really knew it and what he was talking about. When he took an interest in someone, he was loyal and generous – almost to a fault. He had needs. He needed the love and support of his family, particularly June; but God bless them, they gave him that love and support. And the product was a man who had an extraordinary enthusiasm for life and a willingness to share it.

I will miss him.

-- Joe Hartka

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Joining the Family


Milton joined our family over 64 years ago. We loved Milton and will definitely miss him.

We will miss all the e-mails, wonderful photos of sunrises, sunsets, gorgeous roses, family get togethers, and everything Milt so beautifully photographed and sent over the years.

The discussions of airplanes, politics, health issues, world affairs, and everyday problems won’t be solved anymore.


Milt enjoyed seafood, so whether we were on the West coast or June and Milt were here on the East coast, we always managed to visit restaurants (as pictured). Whenever we think of good times these pictures come to mind.

#1 - C&J’s seafood restaurant, Reisterstown, MD.
#2 –Oyster Bay restaurant, Baltimore, MD. (The two ladies were nurses he
had in rehab that were visiting Baltimore for a convention.)
#3 – Phil’s seafood house, Seaside, CA

We are very thankful for all the many fond memories we have and will cherish them always.

-- Audrey and Herbert Scherch

Thoughts On a Long Friendship

In 1946, the Glenn L. Martin Co. hired Milton and assigned him to the Flight Test Data Analysis Group. As his supervisor, I quickly discovered he was eminently overqualified for this job. This group decided they should go bowling (ten pins no less in the duck pin capital) and we all met June. WOW! That boy was even smarter than I originally thought. Our friendship and families grew from that point. So many fond memories - trips to Washington, D.C. to restock the liquor cabinets with the good stuff at prices we could afford; picnics; New Years Eve's; Cape May, N.J.; and just spending time together. So glad I made it to Monterey. Hate to say goodbye Milton, R.I.P.

Howard

Saturday, July 26, 2008

MISS ME --- BUT LET ME GO


This poem has meant so much to our family at the time of loss of a loved one. Hopefully it will bring comfort to Milt's family as it has to us. And, we feel that this probably is Milt's wish as well.

-- Ron & Kay Harmon

MISS ME --- BUT LET ME GO
 
When I come to the end of the road,
And the sun has set for me,
I want no rites in a gloom filled room,
Why cry for a soul set free?
Miss me a little – but not too long,
And not with your head bowed low.
Remember the love that we once shared.
Miss me – but let me go,
For this is a journey we all must take,
And each must go alone.
It’s part of the Master’s plan,
A step on the road to home.
When you are lonely and sick at heart,
Go to the friends you know,
Bury your sorrows in doing good deeds,
Miss me – but let me go.

Friday, July 25, 2008

How We Met Milt


To Kristin, Kim, Keith, June, and the family…..

I’m writing to let you know firstly, who I am, and secondly, how we met Milt.

I am Jeffs mom, Sharis mother-in-law. I only met Milt once, that was when Jeff and Shari were married and Milt and June came to Maryland for the rehearsal dinner and for the wedding.

I had the pleasure of sitting next to Milt at the rehearsal dinner and chatting up a storm!!! We got to know each other and at that time, I knew that I had met a very special couple.

I send my (our) sympathies to you all, knowing that a very special man will be sorely missed.

Most Sincerely,

Sue and Bob Loftus



Thursday, July 10, 2008

Meeting Milt

Milton Kurtz is an amazing scientific mind and has lead a remarkable career, an important part of which we can never talk about. I can say he was known to many as laser man for his work in the field of optics. Milt was bestowed a rare honorary Ph.D. from Cambridge University for his contributions in the field of physics. His work at Spectra Physics lead to the introduction of the bar-code scanner, and his association with Al Shugart (the founder of Seagate Technologies) lead to advancements in optical-based computer storage devices. In my personal experience I have seen him consult on the development of early electron microscopes and on the Floptical disk drive.

Beyond his career, Milt is a husband, a father, a pilot, a gemologist. I call him my friend.

I met Milt in 1979. I was just 25 years old. I hadn’t known him for long, less than a year. I had an important question to ask him, but I was so intimidated and it isn’t every day you ask a father for his daughter’s hand in marriage.

It had all been planned out. I was invited for dinner. At the end of the meal, the girls (June and Kim) were to retire to another room so that I could ask him the question. But as the girls left the room I suddenly developed a lump in my throat, and as each minute ticked by I grew ever more nervous. To call it fear would have put it mildly. I was terrified.

I looked at him, and he at me. Two hours later I found myself still pondering the question. I heard a stir in the other room, probably the girls wondering if I would ever broach the subject. Later they told me they had been listening down the hallway of their Saratoga home the entire time. “I never thought he’d go through with it,” June would later say.

Finally, wrestling with my nerves I mustered the courage to clear my throat. Milt cast a faint smile, and I seized that moment to ask the question.

His face grew serious, and he began to speak in a deliberate way that sent shivers down my spine. “Michael,” he began, “I haven’t known you that long. And I don’t know if you can maintain my daughter in the lifestyle that she’s accustomed to. But I love Kim and I know she loves you. So, I will trust my daughter. But don’t ever hurt my daughter and don’t let her down, or…”

Well after 27 years I’m still here with all of my fingers and toes intact, so I think I’ve done an okay job in that department. The funny thing is I brought this story up to June this week who informed me that I did pretty well that night. Apparently it took Joe five dinners to ask Milt for Kristin’s hand.

But that’s another story!

-- Michael