Jeffery Charles Kurth

Jeff was born in Medford, Oregon to Winston Wiley Kurth and Peggy Janice Benton. The family moved to the Portland area when Jeff was 12, and for the next 6 years Jeff excelled at baseball and football, sports he was passionate about. He graduated from Rex Putnam High School and attended the University of Oregon and Portland State University.

Jeff has two sons, Nick who lives in the Portland area, and Adam - who lives in Kauai with his wife Amanda. Jeff loved his sister Janny and enjoyed being the big brother. Janny married Greg Martin and had two children: Ryan Martin, wife Annika and son Henry live in Germany, and daughter Chelsea Erwin, husband Jason and daughter Harper live in the Portland area. Jeff's mother Peggy predeceased him in 2016, and Jeff's father Winston will be celebrating his 90th birthday in October of this year.

Jeff's early career firmly established him in the pool and spa industry. For the next 30 years, he would made industry friendships all over the world. He enjoyed success at the helm of Marquis Corp and later the parent company of Marquis and Fox Pools - Wexco Inc. He was an active board member and President of the NSPI trade association.

When Jeff met Ann Spires, they knew their life would migrate to Southern California. Jeff said his next house "had to have an orange tree, a lemon tree and a palm tree". They married in August of 2000 and achieved that goal in Sierra Madre, CA. For the next twenty years, Jeff's family grew to include Ann's family: her father Rick, her sister Beth, brother Jeff and their families.

A favorite pastime of Jeff's was golf. He and Ann loved golfing together and enjoyed frequent golf getaways - personal favorites were Pebble Beach and Kapalua. Jeff and Ann joined the San Gabriel Country Club in 2007. There Jeff made lifelong friends - especially a group of "dysfunctionals" as they were known. Every Saturday, they were on the first tee at 8:00 am.

Jeff was an avid reader, especially of political history and biographies, and a great conversationalist. He could speak to anyone in the room on a multitude of subjects. He was very engaged in current events and kept the Bible and a copy of the United States Constitution on his desk.

Honor. Integrity. Decency. Generosity. Respect. A friend wrote about Jeff "he was a kind-hearted, giving, and GOOD man". Jeff was a man of faith. He loved God, his wife Ann, his family, and so many more.

April 11, 1956 - June 24, 2022

A service is being planned for a future date and details will be updated.

Donations may be made to The ASPCA, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Shriner's Hospital for Children or the charity you are passionate about.