Beloved 'Pioneer In This Community' Remembered: Co-Founder Of Funeral Home, Ambulance Service Dies At 80

NEW LENOX, IL — A longtime New Lenox woman is being remembered for her empathy, generosity and passion for her community—just glimmers of a life Mayor Tim Baldermann described as remarkable.

Marilyn Kurtz—who co-founded Kurtz Ambulance and Kurtz Memorial Chapel—died Nov. 3. She was 80 years old, her obituary reads.

Kurtz was also an active member of St. Jude Catholic Church. She was a member of the New Lenox Chamber of Commerce and Lincoln-Way Area Business Women’s Organization (LWABWO). She was named Citizen of the Year in 2009 and served as grand marshal of the Loyalty Day Parade in 2023.

"I’m not surprised by the outpouring of love and support this morning after the passing of Marilyn Kurtz," Mayor Tim Baldermann shared on social media. "So many people have stories about their positive interactions with her. She was truly an important person for so many, including me and my family."

Kurtz, her obituary reads, "is known for her kindness and compassion as well as for her generosity to so many people and businesses in New Lenox and beyond."

Baldermann said Kurtz embraced the esteem in which others held her.

"Marilyn’s true wealth was knowing just how many people loved and respected her," he said. "Her generosity went well beyond her financial giving that she was known for."

Kurtz was wife to the late Karl Kurtz, who died in 2016. Karl, too, led a life of community contribution and service. He was a former Will County Deputy Coroner, former New Lenox Village trustee and patrolman for Knight Security, and a former member of New Lenox Chamber of Commerce and New Lenox Rotary Club.

The Kurtz Memorial Chapel website paints a clear picture of the couple's business origins. In 1977, they, along with their two sons, Tom Vana and Joey Kurtz, moved into a farmhouse on the corner of Cedar and Francis roads in New Lenox. On Nov. 3 of that year, Kurtz Memorial Chapel started serving the New Lenox community for their funeral needs. Just three weeks later, Karl bought a 1972 maroon Cadillac ambulance and started Kurtz Ambulance Service.

Their work ethic could not be denied, the description reads.

"Karl would start his day at sunrise by washing vehicles (always Marilyn's car first) and Marilyn would start her several hours of paperwork," it reads. "Their work day was endless for years, as they answered the ambulance phones and dispatched vehicles from their home 24 hours a day."

Kurtz Memorial Chapel has been in operation since 1977, now with locations in both Frankfort and New Lenox.

"Marilyn was a real pioneer in this community," Baldermann said. "Our success today exists only because of people like Marilyn that helped build this community from the ground up. As the mayor, I’m forever grateful for her contributions to New Lenox. As a friend, I only hope I can honor her legacy by trying to emulate her kindness and generous spirit.

"There are many people who have lived wonderful lives in this community, and who deserve recognition for the lives they’ve led. I’m just fortunate that I got to know Marilyn in a way that has made my life better. Clearly I’m not alone in that sentiment."

In a statement, Silver Cross Hospital called Kurtz a "very dear friend."

"We are deeply saddened by the passing of our very dear friend, Marilyn Kurtz," the statement reads.

"The strong bond between Silver Cross and the Kurtz and Vana Family spans decades. Starting with Marilyn and Karl’s vision back in 1977 to enhance access to emergency care in our community by forming Kurtz Ambulance Service—to their unwavering support for our replacement hospital, which opened in 2012; a transformational gift for our Emergency Department in 2017—the Kurtz & Vana Pavilion; and so much more.

"Marilyn was known for her kindness, her compassion and her immeasurable generosity to many people; her community involvement; and her passion to help others here in New Lenox and far beyond.

"We are grateful for her friendship, and we’ll miss her tremendously."

In lieu of flowers, memorials in Marilyn’s name to St. Jude Catholic Church, New Lenox, would be appreciated.

The family will receive friends at Kurtz Memorial Chapel 102 E. Francis Rd, New Lenox, on Friday, Nov. 7, from 3 to 8 pm. Funeral Services will be held Saturday, Nov. 8, with prayers at the funeral home at 9:15 a.m., then to St. Jude Catholic Church 241 W Second Ave., for Mass of Christian Burial at 10 am. Interment to follow at Good Shepherd Cemetery in Orland Park.