Frank Joseph Kurtenbach, of Brookings, SD, died Saturday, May 16, 2026. He passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family, at Sandford’s Ava’s House in Sioux Falls.
Frank was born to John and Theodora Kurtenbach, in a farmhouse near Dimock, S.D., on Sept. 10, 1937. Ninth of 13 children, Frank and his siblings helped his parents run the family farm. From about the time he was 7 years old, he would get up before dawn to milk cows, before school, and then return in the evening to feed the chickens and other farm chores after the school day ended. A devout Catholic throughout his life, Frank was baptized, received his First Holy Communion and was confirmed at St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Dimock. He graduated from nearby Parkston High School in 1955, where he played football and basketball. After graduating from high school, Frank helped his parents run the farm for two years after high school.
In 1957, with an athletic scholarship, Frank headed to South Dakota State University with his brother Denis and sister Eva. He was on the football team and the heavyweight on the wrestling team, competing in three national wrestling tournaments. Frank graduated from South Dakota State in 1961, with a bachelor’s of science degree in Physical Education.
A college dance is where Frank met his wife Jean Dobbs. The couple was married Dec. 9, 1961, during a big snowstorm that kept his parents and others from traveling that day. Those that could make it celebrated the wedding mass and reception at St Peter Catholic Church in Colman, SD, Jean’s hometown.
After graduation, Frank and Jean moved to Ft. Campbell, KY, where Frank was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 101st Airborne Division from 1961-1963, and their first child, Jacquelyn was born.
After the Army, Frank held several high school coaching and teaching positions. Five years in Iowa, Muscatine (2 yrs) and then in Keokuk (3 yrs), where Steve was born.
In 1968, he got a call from Warren Williamson, his former SDSU wrestling coach, to fill in for him as the coach of the Jackrabbit wrestling team during Williamson’s year long sabbatical. Frank also completed his health sciences master’s degree during that time. He remained close to those Jackrabbit grapplers he coached that year.
In 1969, Frank was recruited by Sioux Falls Lincoln High School to coach wrestling, he also taught biology and assisted with football and tennis. Jean and Frank made several great friends during their time in Sioux Falls.
In 1979, Frank received a call from his brother Aelred asking him to join the sales force at Daktronics. He spent the next 34 years with Daktronics, which included 29 years on the board of directors and 20 as a vice president. However his pride and joy was recruiting and mentoring the interns and sales force.
Frank was a church and civic leader. He and his wife Jean have been active parishioners and contributors to the various parishes they belonged to over the years.
Above all, Frank valued his roles as husband, father, uncle, grandfather, mentor and friend. You couldn’t go anywhere without Frank being recognized or knowing someone, quick excursions often turned into long conversations. He loved talking to people, and being kind. The Kurtenbach home had an open door for students, athletes, interns, nieces and nephews who just needed advice or a second home for a while.
Frank and his wife, Jean, were married for 54 years. He retired after Jean’s death in 2015. In his retirement Frank could be found at almost any Jackrabbit sporting event. His appreciation for the opportunity to attend SDSU, led him to make the lead donation for a new SDSU wrestling facility which represented his lifelong commitment to wrestling in the state.
In 2000, Frank was inducted into the South Dakota Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame. In 2004 Frank was a SDSU Distinguished Alumnus and in 2023 he received the Lohr Award for Volunteer Leadership at SDSU.
Frank is survived by his two children, six grandchildren, and two great grandchildren, his daughter Jacquelyn Schwartz (Michael) of Minneapolis, MN, and their children Reed Kotz (Chiara Lechi) and granddaughter, Cecilia of Minneapolis, MN, Phoebe Schwartz of Stockholm, Sweden; and his son, Steven Kurtenbach (Amy), of Darnestown, MD, and their children, Peyton (Kyle) Kupper, and granddaughter Collins of Richmond, VA, Stephen Glagola of Arlington VA, Mia Hugo of Boston, MA, and Landon Hugo of Darnestown, MD.
He is also survived by his brothers Aelred (Irene) Kurtenbach of Brookings, SD; Ivan (Florita) Kurtenbach, of Troy, MI; DeWayne Kurtenbach (Peg Scott), of Sahuarita, AZ; and his sisters Eva Scheetz of Coon Rapids, MN; Alice (Gerald) Laber, of Denver, CO; Rita Kurtenbach of Cheyenne, WY. He is also survived by nearly 50 nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be held Tuesday, June 2, visitation and rosary at 2 p.m., Mass at 3 p.m. at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, Brookings SD.
Following the service, everyone is welcome to celebrate Frank’s life at the Kurtenbach Family Wrestling Center on the SDSU campus with food/drink from 4:30 – 8 p.m.. Stories and thoughts about Frank will be shared at 5:30 p.m.
Condolences may be sent to the family through www.rudesfuneralhome.com
In lieu of flowers, please send contributions in Frank’s memory to Ava’s House, the family will match all donations. https://siouxfalls.sanfordhealthfoundation.org/fundraiser/7306756/
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