Kurt Smolek

Advent Funeral & Cremation Services - Falls Church

Altogether<br/>4307 Vineland Road, Suite H-17-19, Orlando, FL 32811<br/>For more information, visit our website at <a href='www.altogetherfuneral.com'>www.altogetherfuneral.com</a><br/>Copyright © 2025 FPG Intermediate Holdco, LLC

Kurt Don Smolek passed away suddenly on August 30, 2017, in Washington, D.C. from a boating accident. He was 45. When Kurt took off for the great ski slope in the sky, he left behind his wife, Susan; his son and pride of his life, Andrew; his parents, Don and Andrea Smolek; his brother, Matt, and his wife, Haylee; his sister, Jill Smolek Rutz, and her husband, Andrew; his grandfather, Emil Smolek; Andrew’s mother, Jennifer Mellen; his “real dog,” Indy, and many well loved relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his arch nemesis, Pumpkin the 10-pound mini long-hair dachshund (Susan’s dog). After working as a police officer in Dayton, Ohio, Kurt fulfilled his lifelong dream of becoming a diplomatic security special agent for the Department of State. He made many friends during postings at the U.S. embassies in Iraq, Switzerland, Egypt, and Cambodia, and in Washington, D.C. For fun, he went on great adventures around the world such as skiing in Europe, Alaska, Japan, Morocco, Dubai and Turkey. He dove with turtles in the Red Sea and angled for black marlin off the coast of Panama. Kurt roared around the African veldt on safari in Kenya and marveled at the planet’s highest peaks in Nepal. Kurt absorbed life the way the spring absorbs the snow and commented once that he would like his gravestone to say…“I bet I had more fun than you did.” Throughout his travels, Kurt was always accompanied by his feather pillow endowed to him by his grandmother, Ann Spenner, 20 years ago. His wife is happily sending this “icky” pillow with him to the afterlife, so it will continue to comfort him (and get it out of the house). Kurt was the consummate entertainer. He was often surrounded by friends and family recounting his many adventures. His philosophy was to never let the truth get in the way of a good story, though the truth was often the best story of all. He was also a bourbon connoisseur who enjoyed sharing his passion with his friends. The Kentucky bourbon industry has lost a great emissary. To those who knew him, Kurt embodied the kind of friend we should all strive to be: unfailingly reliable, generous without motive, and thoughtful beyond reason. The badge he carried and the oaths he swore were merely reflections of what he long held in his heart: that he was a steadfast protector ready to defend the very personal perimeters of friendship, kinship and love that he built with you. Kurt knew evil intimately. He rubbed against the worst of humanity. Yet in that hot, unforgiving crucible he somehow forged his most admirable trait: an infectious love for people. Kurt liked liking you. He was proud to be your friend. The final picture on his iPad was a message from a fortune cookie that read “Only those who dare, truly live.” There couldn’t be better final words to sum up Kurt’s life. The memorial visitation will be held at Advent Funeral Home, 7211 Lee Highway, Falls Church, VA 22046 on September 7th from 3:30 pm to 7:30 pm. We ask that you stop by to tell the stories he can no longer tell. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Wounded Warriors Project (https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/). Condolences for the family may be offered online at [email protected]

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Kurt Smolek Obituary | Altogether