Arthur "Art" W. Kureczka

Arthur W. Kureczka, 65 of Wethersfield and Lyme, beloved husband of AnnMarie (Hale) Kureczka, passed away on August 4, 2023 after a battle with cancer. Born in Hartford on October 18, 1957, he was the son of the late Arthur G. and Veronica (Wright) Kureczka and was a lifelong resident of Wethersfield. Art was a 1975 graduate of Wethersfield High School and in 1980, he graduated from the University of Connecticut. He was drawn to the public safety profession and served the town of Wethersfield early on as a member of both the Volunteer Ambulance Association and Fire Department. In 1980, he joined the police department and during his career as an officer, he was an advocate for the mental health profession and pursued a Master’s Degree in counseling at the University of Saint Joseph. He used those skills to work with first responders throughout the state that experienced work-related trauma. He retired in 2000 after 20 years of service.

Upon leaving police work, he went on to become a professor, which he referred to as the best job in the world. He spent the next 24 years teaching for the Connecticut Colleges and State Universities, where he was the criminal justice program coordinator at Capital Community College’s Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences in Hartford and an adjunct instructor at Central Connecticut State University’s Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice in New Britain.

He was a true public servant with 48 years of service in state and local government. During that time, Art touched thousands of lives. He was no-nonsense, called it like he saw it, fair and a true ally for the underdog. He enjoyed cruising, golfing, fishing, hiking, boating and evening sunset cruises on Rogers Lake with family and friends.

Besides his wife of 40 years, he is survived by two sons and 10 grandchildren: Daniel and his wife, Haeley (Lawrence) and their children, Gavin, Alex, Ashlyn, Rosalie, Lucas, Dylan, Devin and Hadley, of Clermont, FL; David and his wife, Faith (Carabase) along with their children: Joseph and James of Glastonbury.

The Kureczka family will be holding private services at a later date. To honor Arthur’s life, memorial contributions can be made to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, 799 Washington Street, P.O. Box 807, Harpers Ferry, WV 25425 (www.appalachiantrail.org). The D’Esopo Funeral Chapel, Wethersfield has been entrusted with Art’s arrangements. To share a memory of Art with his family, please visit www.desopofuneralchapel.com.