William “Bill” Louis Kuriger, 83, of Norman passed away peacefully Monday, June 19, 2017. He was born on August 7, 1933 in Waterloo, Iowa to Louis and Margaret Kuriger.

He was born and raised in Waterloo, IA, the second of four children. After graduating high school, he went to Loras College in Dubuque, IA. During his sophomore year, he enlisted in the Marines and was stationed for one year in Japan during the Korean War. Upon returning to the States, he was stationed in Chicago where he met the love of his life, Dolores Irma Swanson. After marrying Dolores on August 25, 1956, they moved to Iowa City, IA, where Bill earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering. They moved to Cedar Rapids, IA, where Bill worked for Collins Radio Company while working on his Master’s in Electrical Engineering at night. They then moved to Ames, IA, so Bill could work on his PhD in Electrical Engineering at Iowa State and lived in a two-bedroom, 500 sq. foot duplex with their five young children. After completing his degree in 1966, Bill accepted an Electrical Engineering faculty position at the University of Oklahoma and the family moved to Norman. While at OU, Bill and Dolores hosted numerous international students. Bill retired from the university in 1996 after teaching for 30 years and serving in various administrative roles.

Bill and his family started camping in the early 1970’s and usually spent a month every summer visiting state and national parks around the country. After retirement, Bill and Dolores continued their camping and spent extended periods in their motorhome. They visited every state, most of the Canadian provinces, and even went on an RV caravan tour of Mexico. In addition, they have traveled to Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Italy, and Israel.

Bill was a longtime parishioner of St. Thomas More Catholic Church and held various positions in the church over the years. He was a Fourth Degree Knight in the Knights of Columbus.

He and Dolores enjoyed square dancing and danced regularly in several clubs for over 40 years. Bill liked being outdoors, was an avid gardener, and walked 3-5 miles every day. He has volunteered as an AARP Tax-Aide Counselor since 1996 and became the Site Coordinator in 2005.

Bill’s other hobbies included reading, doing crossword puzzles and sudoku, following OU football and both men’s and women’s basketball, and spending time with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Bill is preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Dolores; daughters Eileen (Gary) Huestis of Blackfoot, ID, Diane (Curtis) Cotts of Norman, Deb (Jeff) Smith of Muncie, IN, Sharon (Karl) Rysted of Las Cruces, NM, Christine Kuriger of Norman, Janet (Mike) Guyer of Ft. Smith, AR, and son Glenn (Sarah) Kuriger of Temple, TX; sisters Betsy Bronson of Fredricksburg, IA , Dorothy Wrage of Hudson, IA, and Cecelia (Arnie) Deich of Cedar Falls, IA; grandchildren Megan, Derrick, Jonathan, Rachel, Nicolas, Grey, Kylie, Kristel, Lauren, Ryan, Kirsten, Kevin, Melanie, Alex, Isabelle, Wesley, and Eli; and great-grandchildren Mistaya, Tucker, Kieran, Weston, and Holden.

The family will receive friends at Havenbrook Funeral Home in Norman on Sunday, June 25, 2017 for Visitation from 1:00 pm to 7:00 pm and a Prayer Vigil at 7:00 pm. A Funeral Mass will be conducted by Fr. James Goins at 10:30 am at St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Norman on Monday, June 26, 2017 with interment following at St. Joseph’s Catholic Cemetery.


In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the St. Thomas More Capital Campaign Fund in Norman (100 East Stinson Street, Norman, OK 73072).

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