Robert Eugene Kuersten

1939 - 2018

Bob Kuersten passed away peacefully at his winter home in Mabank, Texas, on March 13, 2018. He was 78.
He was born on June 15, 1939, in Denver, Colo. He is survived by his wife, Kathleen (Senor), of 54 years; his three children, Ashlyn Kuersten, Scott (Sarah) Kuersten and Alissa (Scott) Stefan; five grandchildren, Nicole (Donny) Holtz, Trevor Stefan, Michaela Stefan, Siena and Rowan Kuersten; and two great-grandchildren, Avery and Allyson Holtz.
Bob served as an honor guard in the U.S. Army in Washington, D.C., and upon returning in 1963, he and Kathleen married in New Castle, Colo. They left for Alaska in 1965, towing a 42' trailer house behind a small Ford pickup truck. After arriving in Alaska, Bob worked at Stan's Garage on Elmendorf before opening his own garage on Muldoon Road called "Bob's Garage." Later, he worked on the North Slope and the trans-Alaska pipeline in Valdez and then Hermon Brothers Construction in Palmer, Alaska, where he remained until his retirement. He was a member of the International Union of Operating Engineers #302 for 49 years. In the late 1980s, Bob and Kathleen claimed land on the North Fork of the Big River in the Alaska Range and built his beloved cabin, the site of many family adventures. He was a pilot and enjoyed flying his small plane to his cabin every chance he got.
Bob Kuersten was very patriotic and an independent American thinker who had strong opinions about everything on earth. He was kind, thoughtful and always generous of his time and expertise, so his garage was usually filled with friends getting compassionate advice, borrowing tools and hearing his many stories. He was an exceptional family man and a mechanical genius who could fix just about anything. He showed so many the magnificence that is the Alaska wilderness because he loved nothing better than being outdoors, a trait he passed on to his children and grandchildren. He was a true Alaska frontiersman, an aviator, a big game hunter and a creative inventor.
Bob will be buried in a private ceremony in the Alaska Range in June, but a celebration of life will take place on June 5, 2018, at 5 p.m., at Beach Lake Lodge in Birchwood. All are welcome to attend. In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations to the Scleroderma Research Program, University of Texas, Dr. Maureen Mayes, 6431 Fannin St., Houston, TX 77030; 713-500-6905.