Victor Kurynny, age 69, loving husband of Deborah J. (Hinkle) Kurynny, of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, passed away peacefully on Saturday, May 4, 2019 at his home, surrounded by his loving family and friends. He had been battling cancer for 18 months.
Born on August 23, 1949 in Mittenwald, Bavaria, West Germany, he was a son of the late Teodor and Maria (Holowa) Kurynnyj, with whom he emigrated to America via Ellis Island, N.Y., in 1950. The family lived in Albuquerque, N. Mex. for about a year, then moved to Phoenixville, eventually building and moving into their home on Montgomery Avenue in 1953.
Vic was a graduate of Phoenixville High School, Class of 1967. After graduation he attended Drexel College (now Drexel University) in Philadelphia, and was honorarily initiated into the Gamma Beta chapter of Phi Kappa Sigma Fraternity three decades later. Vic was dedicated to his country and served in the United States Air Force from 1969 to 1972, during the Vietnam War. Serving tours in Thailand and Vietnam, he mainly worked as an electronics technician, repairing damaged aircraft that had recently returned from combat, reconnaissance, and rescue missions. After his honorable discharge as an E5 Staff Sergeant, he went on to work nights as a dockman at Jones Motor in Spring City, Pa., and enrolled in a continuing education program for electronics with ITT Technical Institute at-home courses, which were funded by the G.I. Bill. In 1980 he left Jones to run his own company, Vic's Electronics, for 16 years from his home basement workshop on Township Line Road, repairing televisions and VCRs, and installing aerial antennas on residential rooftops. After consumer electronics disposability had largely obsoleted repair, he decided to close the business in 1996, and liquidated his extensive stock of rare and hard-to-find vacuum tubes to audio enthusiasts. He finished his career at the Tweeter Entertainment Group in King of Prussia, Pa., as a plasma and LCD display technician until its closing in 2006.
In his leisure time, Vic loved to garden, and was widely considered a green thumb among family and friends. He enjoyed tending to his tomatoes, orchids, and poinsettias, and found particular pleasure in taking an eye-watering bite from a homegrown hot pepper and washing it down with a swig of cold beer. He was fond of backyard bonfires, Pink Floyd, and spotting Iridium flares on clear nights. While he couldn’t resist a Sunday Crossword or a half bushel of Maryland blue crabs, most of all he loved spending time with his immediate and extended family. He was a loving husband, father, uncle, brother, and dear friend to all who had the pleasure of knowing him. He will be missed by many, and for those who remember, he wishes you the best ear of corn.
In addition to his loving wife, Victor is survived by his two sons, Justin (Rachael) Kurynny of Portland, Ore. and Austin Kurynny of Eagleville, Pa.; his daughter, Lara (Chris) Kessler of Portland, Ore.; and three nephews, John (Heather) Hudock, James “Jim” (Cindy) Hudock, and Daniel (Buffie) Hudock
In addition to his parents, Victor was preceded in death by his sisters, Zena Fitzcharles and Lydia Sabold. Relatives and friends are invited to attend a memorial service at Campbell-Ennis-Klotzbach Funeral Home, Inc., 610 South Main Street, Phoenixville, Pa. on Saturday, May 11, 2019 at 11:00 am. Friends will be received from 10:00 to 11:00 am prior to the service at the funeral home. A graveside service and interment will be held afterward in the Washington Memorial Chapel Churchyard in Valley Forge National Historical Park, Pa. Condolences may be made by visiting www.PhoenixvilleFuneralHome.com. Campbell-Ennis-Klotzbach Funeral Home, Inc., of Phoenixville, Pa., is handling arrangements.
In lieu of flowers, Vic asks that you consider making a donation to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (www.lls.org), helping disabled veterans (www.dav.org), or helping to maintain healthy and responsible feline populations in the Delaware Valley (www.forgottencats.org).