Kevin E. McGurk watched TV the way he lived life–intensely. Every Wednesday, Mr. McGurk greeted the newest installment of “West Wing” by calling his sisters to make sure they were tuned in. During the commercial breaks, he dialed them again. “He would say, `Did you get that? That was the coolest speech.’ And then he would speculate about what would happen next,” said his sister, Margaret A. McGurk. Mr. McGurk, 47, who worked in the TV industry, died Friday, Oct. 31, of renal failure at his home in Tampa. Born and raised on Chicago’s South Side, Mr. McGurk took an early liking to singing, first as a choirboy at St. Thomas More Parish, then in bands at Southern Illinois University. “He was a born showman,” said his sister. “He loved performing.” After graduating from SIU with a degree in broadcasting, Mr. McGurk worked as an on-air reporter for stations in Champaign and Cedar Rapids, Iowa. “It was an excuse to go out and meet new people, and ask questions,” his sister said. Mr. McGurk later sold advertising for WLS-Ch. 7, the Sentel Agency and Leisure Partners Inc. Since 1998, Mr. McGurk had been the general manager of Television Advertising Partners Inc., in Tampa. Mr. McGurk is survived by two brothers, James and Andrew, as well as two other sisters, Jeanette Murray and Mary Bridgette. He was engaged to Rebecca Caries of Tampa. Memorial services will be held in Chicago sometime next year, family members said.
