In each school and each community around Rochester and across the country, there are countless individuals who go above and beyond to help others and make the world a better place. Kurt Kingsley was one of those individuals.
Kurt passed away on the morning of July 10 at the age of 32 due to complications from a motorcycle accident. A school teacher, administrator and coach for the Greece Central School District, Kurt led a life full of generosity, kindness and philanthropy. He is survived by his mother Susan; father Craig; sisters Cara (Rob LaPoint) and Casey (Michael Tucci); paternal grandmother Eleanor Kingsley; maternal grandparents Ed and Nancy Cutcliffe; girlfriend Jennifer McMillion; niece Eleanor Kingsley-LaPoint; and several aunts, uncles, cousins, and countless friends.
Involved in athletics for nearly his whole life Kurt played soccer, volleyball and basketball at Pavilion High School before moving on to Niagara University. Though he did not play at the collegiate level, he was asked to try out for the men’s basketball team but turned down the offer to be sure he kept his academic scholarship. And though he didn’t make it onto the court for the Purple Eagles he still made his presence felt, spending some of his free time working with the women’s basketball team.
After graduating from college Kurt caught on at St. Joseph’s Villa in Rochester, where he continued helping others in need while also volunteering as a basketball coach. From St. Joseph’s he moved to Greece Apollo, where for the last six years he manned the classroom as a math teacher and more recently, administrator. As the Greece School District transitioned into a new configuration near the end of the 2012 school year Kurt stepped up as a leader of the Engagement Program, helping develop an idea into an structured initiative. Regardless of where he was working or going to school, Kurt always left a positive mark on the people and places he encountered.
“When I moved here from Atlanta in seventh grade, Mr. Kingsley was my first coach,” said Greece Olympia senior Craig Hardgers, who was coached by Kurt at Apollo in basketball as well as track and field. “I had never ran track before, and he was the coach who taught me how to high jump.”
Along with many others, Kurt helped Hardgers’ classmates Desmond Mobley and Ja’marie Jefferson (whose nickname, “JJ”, came from Kurt) get their track careers started on the right path while at Apollo.
In each school and each community around Rochester and across the country, there are countless individuals who go above and beyond to help others and make the world a better place. Kurt Kingsley was one of those individuals.
Kurt passed away on the morning of July 10 at the age of 32 due to complications from a motorcycle accident. A school teacher, administrator and coach for the Greece Central School District, Kurt led a life full of generosity, kindness and philanthropy. He is survived by his mother Susan; father Craig; sisters Cara (Rob LaPoint) and Casey (Michael Tucci); paternal grandmother Eleanor Kingsley; maternal grandparents Ed and Nancy Cutcliffe; girlfriend Jennifer McMillion; niece Eleanor Kingsley-LaPoint; and several aunts, uncles, cousins, and countless friends.
Involved in athletics for nearly his whole life Kurt played soccer, volleyball and basketball at Pavilion High School before moving on to Niagara University. Though he did not play at the collegiate level, he was asked to try out for the men’s basketball team but turned down the offer to be sure he kept his academic scholarship. And though he didn’t make it onto the court for the Purple Eagles he still made his presence felt, spending some of his free time working with the women’s basketball team.
After graduating from college Kurt caught on at St. Joseph’s Villa in Rochester, where he continued helping others in need while also volunteering as a basketball coach. From St. Joseph’s he moved to Greece Apollo, where for the last six years he manned the classroom as a math teacher and more recently, administrator. As the Greece School District transitioned into a new configuration near the end of the 2012 school year Kurt stepped up as a leader of the Engagement Program, helping develop an idea into an structured initiative. Regardless of where he was working or going to school, Kurt always left a positive mark on the people and places he encountered.
“When I moved here from Atlanta in seventh grade, Mr. Kingsley was my first coach,” said Greece Olympia senior Craig Hardgers, who was coached by Kurt at Apollo in basketball as well as track and field. “I had never ran track before, and he was the coach who taught me how to high jump.”
Along with many others, Kurt helped Hardgers’ classmates Desmond Mobley and Ja’marie Jefferson (whose nickname, “JJ”, came from Kurt) get their track careers started on the right path while at Apollo.
“Mr. Kingsley was just a great person,” Mobley said. “He was my first coach in basketball and in track, and he helped me see my potential. He was one of those teachers you wanted to be around, and I could always talk to him about anything.”
“He helped me become a better runner and a better person” added Jefferson. “He taught me the technical side of running and motivated me to be the best I could be. I remember a race when I was at Apollo, and I had to run against Brian Smith (Greece Athena). This was when (Smith) was still young but starting to get a lot of attention, and I was really nervous. I remember he told me to stay calm, run my own race and to just focus on my lane. I ended up winning that race (100m) and setting a middle school record that still stands today.”
Also a mentor on the basketball court Kurt helped athletes learn the game as well as lessons of life.
“Even for the students who didn’t have him in class, he was one of those teachers that everybody knew,” said Mike Dentino, who went to Apollo and now attends Olympia. “We did a lot of drills and worked on our game but he taught us how to win and lose as a team, and that is stuff that remains with you.”
Along with volunteering his time as a coach and mentor, Kurt also served as a basketball referee for Section V. He kept up with his athletic prowess as a marathoner and triathlete, finding ways to help others without seeking anything in return.
One instance of Kurt’s selflessness came during Jen’s first marathon. The entire way he ran alongside her, offering support for 26.1 miles while keeping a much slower pace than he would if running on his own. When they crossed the finish line together Kurt called his mom to tell her about the day.
“He called and said, “Jen just finished her first marathon!’,” said Susan. “He was so excited for her, and he didn’t even mention that he had ran as well. He didn’t want to talk about him and take anything away from her accomplishment, that is the kind of person he was.”
Regardless of how busy he was or what he had going on there were two things Kurt always made time for: helping on his father’s farm and volunteering with the Special Olympics. Kurt grew up working on the family farm and as he grew older, spent much of his free time lending a hand whenever he could. Much of Kurt’s volunteer work was done with the Special Olympics, a cause he held dear since early in his life. His involvement came about through a childhood friendship, and evolved into Kurt helping to establish the organization’s annual “Teeing Off for Teddy” golf tournament in honor of his friend.
Though the doors to the Greece Apollo Middle School have been closed, they will reopen in the fall as the new Greece Odyssey High School. As new lessons are learned and new memories are made, the students, faculty and community as a whole will remember the friendliness, compassion and benevolence Kurt Kingsley displayed everyday.
In memory of Kurt’s life, the annual Greece HOPE charity basketball game will be renamed “The Kurt Kingsley Memorial HOPE Game”, with all proceeds benefiting the Greece HOPE fund. Donations in Kurt’s name can be gratefully made to the Special Olympics or the Greece HOPE fund.
