To those who knew him well, John Kurtichwas a Renaissance man. When he wasn’t teaching architecture at the School of the Art Institute or taking part in archaeological digs in Samothrace, Greece, Mr. Kurtich pursued many other interests. He was a licensed architect, an art collector, a gourmet cook, a pianist, a photographer and a producer and presenter of multimedia artistic shows, his family said. Mr. Kurtich, 68, died of natural causes Monday, March 29, in his home in Hyde Park. Born in Salinas, Calif., Mr. Kurtich was an only child, though he and his maternal cousin, DeAnn Underwood, were as close as siblings. “We grew up almost as brother and sister,” she said. “We just bonded and have been the best of friends since we were born.” Mr. Kurtich’s creative side was sparked during his boyhood by his father’s love for tinkering, Underwood said. Kurtich’s father was a Croatian immigrant employed with the Pacific Bell phone company, and in his free time, he created objects made from parts bought at the local Army surplus store, such as a replica Jeep and a cherry picker. Before serving in the Navy for three years, Mr. Kurtich attended the University of California at Los Angeles, from which he received a bachelor’s degree in cinematography in 1957. After military service, he earned a bachelor’s degree in architecture from the University of California at Berkeley and a master of science in architecture from Columbia University. In 1968, Mr. Kurtich started his long career at the School of the Art Institute, where he taught filmmaking, environmental design and interior architecture. “He was so much a part of the school,” Tony Jones, the school’s president, said in a statement circulated to students and faculty members the day of Mr. Kurtich’s death. “It will be hard to imagine the place without John.” He is survived by Mrs. Underwood and her family and other cousins and uncles. A memorial service will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Monday in the second-floor ballroom at the School of the Art Institute, 112 S. Michigan Ave.
