Kurt Gerhard StraussKurt Gerhard Strauss died peacefully on February 23, 2017 in Shreveport, Louisiana, three weeks shy of his 95th birthday.Kurt was born on March 7, 1922 in Frankfurt, Germany. The son of Bruno Strauss, a dentist, and Rosie Carlebach Strauss, a sweet Jewish mother whose family descended from a long line of Rabbis, Kurt's early years found him in the center of great political turmoil, first as a child growing up in the Weimar Republic, and then as an early teenager when Hitler came to power. In 1935, at age 13, immediately after his Bar Mitzvah, Kurt was sent by himself to England, as his family began their efforts to escape the Nazis. At the time, Kurt spoke no English. He arrived in London in May of that year, taught himself English over the summer; then matriculated into the school that had agreed to accept him at his expected grade level. A year later, as the family translator, and only 14 years old, Kurt helped his own family immigrate into England. Kurt survived the Nazi's, not only as a refuge from Germany, but also as a child living in London throughout the Battle of Britain bombing campaign. He studied engineering in London and worked for a few years in Wales. Following the war, he moved to the United States, studied business at the University of Chicago, where he earned an MBA, and then went to work as an engineer, first in Indiana and ultimately in Arizona. He made his career at Hughes Aircraft until his "first" retirement at age 65. After he left Hughes, he headed back to school, earned another degree, this time in counseling, and started a second career as a counselor.In 1960, Kurt met the love of his life, Lynn, to whom he was to be married for over fifty years. Together, they had two children, Vona Strauss Weiss, wife of Jeffrey Weiss, and Toni Strauss Weiss, wife of Gary Remer. Kurt and Lynn made their home in Tucson, Arizona, where they lived, actively engaged together at Congregation Anshei Israel and in the Jewish community, until 2012, when they moved to The Oaks in Shreveport.Kurt was a very proud father, grandfather, and great grandfather. He delighted in the time he spent with his family and in following their life stories. He was a sweet man, with lots of heartwarming stories, always delivered by him with a smile and a soft chuckle.Kurt is survived by his daughters, and his grandchildren, Jessica, Ethan, Jordan, Tova, Gerhardt, Amos and Ezra and by his great grandchildren, Sarah and Evan, virtually all of whom share the surname Weiss (but that's a long story). He is also survived by his sister-in-law Sheila Strauss of Nottingham, England, widow of his deceased brother Hans Strauss. The family extends a special thanks to Dr. Rick Michael, Willis-Knighton Hospice, especially Tangela Jackson, and the staff of The Oaks of Louisiana. A graveside service will be held on February 24, 2017 at 2:00 p.m. at Hebrew Rest Cemetery also known as Agudath Achim Cemetery, on the corner of Walnut and Yale, where Kurt will be laid to rest next to Lynn, who predeceased him. Officiating will be Cantor Neil Schwartz and Rabbi Jana L. De Benedetti. The family suggests in lieu of flowers memorials may be made to Hadassah, P.O. Box 1100, New York, NY 10268-1100, Hadassah.org, or Providence House, 814 Cotton, Shreveport, LA 71101.