Stephen K. Jurentkuff

Stephen K. Jurentkuff

Buckland, MA - Stephen Karl Jurentkuff (71), a cherished man known for his kind, loving, caring and humorous personality, passed away on October 22, 2025.

Steve as he was known to most, departed peacefully at home in Buckland, surrounded by many members of his loving family.

Born in Milford, Massachusetts on October 5th, 1954 to Karl Elsar Jurentkuff Jr. and Virginia Pearl Scott Jurentkuff, Steve spent his youth running, camping and fishing the beautiful green hills of Rowe, Mass with his brother Mark and sister Nina. While attending Mohawk Regional High School he was a champion cross country runner who earned the nickname "Wildman" for his long wild hair and barefoot running style.

In the first instances of what would become a lifetime of service, Steve was a volunteer firefighter with the Rowe Fire Department and also the youngest person ever elected to the Rowe School Board at the age of just 18 years old. Steve went on to graduate Magna Cum Laude from Fitchburg State College Bachelor of Science Degree in Human Services, and was offered a Fulbright scholarship to study abroad. However, he followed his heart and married wife Kathy, daughter of Donald and Shirley Ward. They briefly stayed in Buckland, where they raised newly born son Jared, known as JD, before departing to Richmond, Virginia so that Steve could attend Virginia Commonwealth University, from which he received his Masters degree in Social Work, in 1981.

They say if you love what you do you'll never work a day in your life and this was certainly true of Steve who never fully retired from his calling as a social worker until the final weeks before the pancreatic cancer took him. Here is an abbreviated look into the different roles and positions that help paint a picture of his impact in the lives of many in need and specifically, children in distress, for which he worked and advocated for the most.

Steve was a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Virginia, Vermont and Massachusetts.

He was a board member, and at one point the President, of Virginians for Mental Health Equity

A member of Attorney General Mark Early's Task Force on Child Abuse & Neglect

A member of Attorney General Jerry Kilgore's Task Force on Domestic Violence

A VCU School of Social Work Field Instructor

Vice President and Chairman, Virginia Coalition of Private Provider Associations

Co-Chair, Central Virginia Partnership on Youth

He began his career at Family and Children's Service of Virginia, a United Way agency that he worked at for nearly 20 years, rising in role from Licensed Clinical Social Worker to Senior Vice President/COO.

From there he moved to Prevent Child Abuse Virginia where he became Executive Director/CEO and worked as a licensed lobbyist, advocating for children's rights. His biggest win in this regard was to help pass legislation that prevented shaken babies.

He eventually went on to become the Executive Director of Specialized Youth Services of Virginia, Inc. where he supervised nine programs and ninety staff in the pursuit of helping children and young adults. This included two residential programs for youth, three alternative schools, two intensive in home programs and two therapeutic day treatment programs.

But eventually, after many years in Virginia, it was time for Steve and Kathy to move back home to Massachusetts so they could begin to help with caregiving for both sets of their aging parents.

Back in Massachusetts he found a great position in neighboring Vermont, where he served as the Director of the Child and Adolescent Program at Brattleboro Retreat.

This eventually led to his role with HCRS (Health Care and Rehabilitation Services of Southeastern Vermont) serving as the Area Manager of the Adult Services division. It was a job he loved dearly and he would speak often of the deep relationships and friendships he had formed with his coworkers there.

All along the way Steve found time to be an amazing husband, devoted son, loving father, supportive brother and all-around fun loving family man who helped those around him see the everyday magic that surrounds us.

To know Steve was to know the sound of laughter and the sight of an ever ready smile. He was a joker and he loved a bit of adventure. As a young man he was a skier and lift attendant at Mt. Snow, once winning a bet with a fellow liftee who had challenged him to see who could dangle from the chair longest as it pulled them both up the hill. Steve won. He loved life deeply. He loved to fish. From catching stripers on Cape Cod, to rainbows in the Deerfield, to wahoos in Hawaii, to native cutthroat trout in the Yellowstone, to whatever was biting when Emily and Melissa would take him out for his annual Father's Day trip, Steve knew how to catch fish and most importantly how to make each trip a memorable time for all. He loved fly fishing the most and in his later years even learned how to tie his own flies, perfecting his own versions of the Chubby Chernobyl and sparkling pink Kern Kandy, that he and JD used to catch many fish.

He was a classic rock aficionado who was always knew the perfect song to play or share. He passed this love of music to his kids and extended family, who will undoubtedly be thinking of him when hearing any one of the many, many songs he knew by heart.

He was a die-hard Red Sox and Patriots fan. He was a fantastic poker player who really knew how to make the game fun when dealing a hand of Push Tittle or Monaco. He was a top notch cribbage player. And was hailed many times as the king of Catan.

He also knew how to fix things. From cars, to sinks, to relationships, there was a good chance Steve could get it going or keep it going.

But one of the things we were most proud of Steve doing was donating a kidney to his brother, Mark. He never wanted any credit for the act, and always said he felt lucky that he'd even been given the chance to do it. And now that Steve is gone, we feel extra lucky that every time we hug Mark, we're hugging a piece of Stephen too.

Steve is survived by his high school sweetheart and wife of 48 years, Kathy Irene Jurentkuff (Buckland), son Jared (Melissa Raquel) Jurentkuff, grandchildren Emerson Jurentkuff, Carmen Jurentkuff (Los Angeles), daughter Melissa Irene Jurentkuff (San Francisco), daughter Emily Jurentkuff Raupp (Buckland), Father Karl Elsar Jurentkuff and Mother Virginia Pearl Jurentkuff (East Falmouth), brother Mark Jurentkuff (Eastham) and sister Nina Murphy (E. Falmouth), brother in law Dale (Martha) Ward (Buckland), sister in law Dawn (Rod) Fuller Longley (Conn.), Gary (Ann) Longley, nephews and nieces Brandon (Ashley) Ward (Maine), Bria (Jake) Thurber (Buckland), Tiffany Scott (So. Deerfield), Tristan (Erica) Ward (Greenfield), Donny (Katie) Longley (Belchertown), Laura Longley (Conn.), Megan (Tony) Allen (Arkansas), Laurie (Eric) Gatchell (Cape Cod), Andrew (Hannah) Murphy (Rhode Island), Uncle Dicky (Judy) Jurentkuff (New Hampshire), and many cousins, grand nieces, grand nephews, friends and extended family all who will cherish his memory.

Despite the deep sadness of his passing, it makes us smile to think of him headed out on his biggest adventure yet with a smile on his face, a classic rock tune on his lips, and the strings of his trusty air guitar dancing beneath his fingers.

A funeral service will be held for Steve at 1130am at the Mary Lyon Church in Buckland, Mass. on November 29th, 2025.

This will be immediately followed by a celebration of his life at The Sweetheart, 42 South Maple Street, Shelburne Falls Mass 01370 from 12:30 to 3:30pm.

Please arrive ready to have some food, enjoy some live music and share a fun story about Steve!

In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.

The amazing team of doctors and nurses at Dana Farber are second to none and we are grateful to them for all their efforts in extending Steve's life.