Ibrahim Sevki Kurtulus

1945 - 2025

Ibrahim Sevki Kurtulus

December 8, 1945 - December 9, 2025

Ibrahim Kurtulus passed away the day after celebrating his 80th birthday, after living a full life surrounded by family and friends. He is survived by his sister, Chala and spouse, Koray; brother-in-law, Jose Eduardo and his wife, Susy; his cousin, Gökhan and his wife, Lori; and multiple other dear cousins. He is preceded in death by his mom, Judge Sabahat Kurtulus, who was one of the first three female judges appointed to the Supreme Court of Appeal in Türkiye, and his dad, Dr. Fahri Kurtulus, who served as the youngest elected member of the Turkish Parliament at the age of 30 and a pediatrician until his final days. Ibrahim's grandfather was a veteran army doctor and fought alongside Atatürk (Founder of Modern Türkiye) in the "Turkish Battle of Trablusgarp (Tripoli), and his grandmother was a nurse. Ibrahim and his sister, Chala had a very strong bond, and at only 18 months apart, they were inseparable even in the schools they chose. Even though their personal and professional lives placed them on different sides of the world, they got together often and traveled the world together with their families and friends.

Ibrahim was born in Tarsus, grew up in Samsun, and graduated from Robert Koleji (Robert College) in Istanbul. It was there where Ibrahim developed a stellar work ethic and a discipline that would later on pave the road for his professional and personal success. He graduated as valedictorian from Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Türkiye, and pursued a career in academia, where he traveled halfway across the globe to get an MBA from the University of Michigan and a doctoral degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. While working on his doctoral dissertation, he met his wife, the one and only Susana Hernandez-Kurtulus. Over their 43 years together, they traveled the world and were avid supporters of the arts in Richmond and beyond, and loved to dance and share a meal with friends, especially the Gourmet Group. He retired from VCU, better known as "Dr. K." by his beloved students, to take care of Susana and did not return to teaching and academic research. Instead, he chose to become a writer and stepped into the literary world, taking writing lessons and joining various writing groups. His first book, "The Runner in the Glass," was published in 2024, and his second book, "The Wall," was almost ready for publication. Ibrahim and Chala were going to review and finalize the latest edits to "The Wall" over the Christmas holiday when time froze. We all hope Ibrahim's new surroundings are cuddling him well and making him feel at home. We will always hold Ibrahim close to our hearts and his infectious laughter and smile in our minds.

A funeral will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, December 19, 2025, at Bliley's – Central, 3801 Augusta Avenue, Richmond, VA, US 23230. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at the funeral home.