
Basil Curnutte, Jr., age 84, of Manhattan, Kansas, died Tuesday, January 22, 2008, at the Mercy Regional Health Center in Manhattan.
He was born on March 1, 1923, in Portsmouth, Ohio, the son of Basil and Lula Alafare (Cooper) Curnutte. After graduating from high school, Basil studied for a year at The Ohio State University while he waited for his appointment to the United States Naval Academy the next year. He proudly served for four years during World War II, being discharged with the rank of Lieutenant. He returned to Ohio State University and received his Ph.D. in Physics. In 1954, he began his career as an Assistant Professor of Physics at Kansas State University. He was a Professor of Physics from 1964 until his retirement in 1988.
On June 10, 1945, he was united in marriage with Mary Lukemire in Portsmouth, Ohio. This union was blessed with two sons: William and Gregory. For over 62 years of marriage, they rarely left each other's side and continued their daily visits until his passing. Basil and Mary loved to travel and visit their children and grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers: Leroy, David and George; sister: Betty Jane Rothrock; and an infant grandson: Kyle Morgan Curnutte.
Survivors include his wife Mary of the home; sons: William of Portsmouth, Ohio, and Gregory of Portland, Oregon; 4 grandchildren: Kyla Jordan Curnutte, Jennifer Anne Curnutte, Shannon Joanne Curnutte and Erin Margaret Curnutte. He is also survived by many nieces, nephews and friends.
A Requiem Mass was held at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, January 26, 2008, at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Manhattan, with Father Tom Miles officiating. Inurnment was in the church columbarium. There was a reception at St. Paul’s following the service.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church or to the Basil & Mary Curnutte Scholarship of Physics at the Kansas State University Foundation.
His friends and colleagues from the Department of Physics at Kansas State University where he worked for his entire career of 35 years and then hung out there for almost another 20 years, said this about him in a memorial on the department web site:
Basil Curnutte joined our faculty shortly after receiving his PhD. He spent his academic career as a member of the KSU Physics faculty and retired in 1988. During his career he was someone that many of us (now senior) faculty members regularly sought out for advice. He could always be counted on to help faculty and students understand the environment of both the University and the Department. Of course, this advice was frequently accompanied by a story or a (usually bad) joke that illustrated his point.
Certainly much of what our Department is today is a reflection of Bas' calm but persistent efforts, particularly his efforts on behalf of students.
Basil was a Fellow of the Optical Society and a former president of the Kansas Academy of Sciences.
The National Science Foundation Class of 1952
List of articles by Basil Curnutte from Google Scholar
So much for an obituary. This was my father and to try to sum up his life this way seems so puny. He was so much more than this to my brother, Greg, and me. This was the man who taught us things even more important than physics. Like how to think. And how to fly fish.
I'm still at a loss what to say, but I'll be back to add things as they surface.