JOHN G KURKO

1944 - 2025

John G. Kurko, 80, of Monument, Colorado, passed away on March 6, 2025, with wife Sylvia at his side.

Born on June 15, 1944, in Chicago, Illinois, to John Sr. and Mary Kurko, John was a 2nd generation American of Ukrainian heritage.  John graduated from Steinmetz High School in Chicago before attending Wright Junior College. He continued his studies on an ROTC scholarship with a Journalism major at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. John was an active member of Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity where he made many lifetime friends.

John was commissioned into the Officer Corps of the United States Air Force in 1967 with initial assignment at Castle AFB in California in Logistics-Materials Management. He volunteered for an assignment to Thailand during the Vietnam War and was stationed at Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai AFB; he spent 3 months in Saigon during that time. He continued his 22-year career as a “supply guy” at Forbes AFB in Kansas, Grumman Aerospace in New York, Holloman AFB in New Mexico, Hill AFB in Utah, Riyadh AB in Saudi Arabia, Mather AFB in California, Randolph AFB in Texas and the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado where he retired from Active Duty in July 1989 as a Lt. Colonel.

As he transitioned from the military to civilian life, he attended Webster University and received master’s degrees in Procurement & Materials Management as well as Business. John worked as Materials Coordinator/Procurement Specialist for Colorado Springs Utilities, Penrose-St. Francis Health, and the El Paso County Department of Health. John then entered the Civil Service and worked as a Contract Specialist for the Air Force as well as the Army until his final retirement in November 2023.

Beyond his professional achievements, John had a passion for collecting antiques, such as books, sports memorabilia and vintage Christmas decor, and enjoyed fishing and watching his favorite sports teams, the Chicago Bears and Chicago Cubs. He loved learning how to do things himself, from auto repair to refinishing furniture to installing wood floors.

He is survived by his wife of 35-1/2 years Sylvia, daughter Sara Zimmer (Jake), nephew Richard Linehan (Wendy), mother-in-law Neva Adams, brother-in-law Chuck Adams, sisters-in-law Elizabeth Wilson (David and children Matthew and Hannah) and Rebecca True (Randall). He was predeceased by his sister, Elaine Linehan.

John’s memory will be cherished by those who knew him. May his legacy of dedication and service continue to inspire others.

Family, friends, and colleagues are invited to honor and celebrate John at a memorial service at Eastside Church of Christ (5905 Flintridge Dr. 80918) at 2 PM on Friday, March 28, 2025. Burial service with Military honors preceding the memorial will be at 10 AM at Pikes Peak National Cemetery (10545 Drennan Road Colorado Springs, CO 80925).

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in John’s memory to Parkinson’s Foundation (www.parkinson.org) or Zambia  Medical Mission (https://ZambiaMission.org).