Kurt Edward Alcumbrac
Kurt Edward Alcumbrac (age 65) passed away April 20, 2021, at his home in Pinetop, Arizona, surrounded by loved ones, after a fierce battle with glioblastoma. Kurt was born February 28, 1956, in Phoenix, Arizona. He attended Madison Rose Lane Elementary School, Brophy College Preparatory, and received his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Arizona. He remained a diehard Wildcat and took every opportunity to tease any ASU Sun Devil he met, including his two daughters. Kurt’s childhood was spent in the White Mountains, both camping and fishing in the summers and skiing in the winters. He started as a ski patrol member at Sunrise Park Resort in his teens.
Kurt met Sandy, his wife of 41 years, at Sunrise in 1978, and they were married in 1979. Although they raised their daughters in Scottsdale, his dream was to live in the White Mountains on a golf course. Kurt and Sandy retired to Pinetop in 2015. Throughout his life, Kurt was an avid golfer and skier, so moving to Pinetop was a natural choice.
Kurt lived a dynamic life, from getting his sailplane pilot’s license in his teens, to fighting wildfires during the summers while in college, to finally earning his private pilot’s license. He served on the Pinetop Fire Board and was a member at Pinetop Lakes Golf and Country Club. Kurt was always the first to offer help and had a undying devotion to his family. He supported all of his daughters’ endeavors from T-ball to dance class to high school marching band. While Kurt grumbled about being the only male in the household, his family knew he wouldn’t have had it any other way. His go-to phrase was, “Yes, dear.”
He is survived by wife Sandra Lynn Smith Alcumbrac, daughters Torill Beth Smith (Joshua Smith) and Jamie Michelle Alcumbrac, granddaughters Elena, Charlotte and Naomi Smith, sisters Kristen Almour and Marta Alcumbrac, brother Ole Alcumbrac, sister-in-law Adrienne Hogate (Rob Hogate), and his “favorite” mother-in-law Ruth Lamb Smith. He was loved and respected by many.
A celebration of Kurt’s life will be held later this summer. Donations may be made to the Barrow Neurological Foundation 124 W. Thomas Road, Suite 250 Phoenix, AZ 85013 Foundation@BarrowNeuro.org.