Kurt Frederick Weiland

Kurt Frederick Weiland passed away in the early morning of July 17, 2026, with his beloved wife by his side, following a brief but courageous battle with advanced liver cancer. He was 80 years old.

Kurt was a devoted husband, loving father and Grampa, gifted storyteller, faithful Sunday School teacher, dedicated ministering brother, attentive neighbor, Army officer, TV game show champion, Mustang enthusiast, Congressional candidate, and above all, one of life’s genuinely good men. If you spent more than a few minutes with him, chances are you walked away with a story, a laugh, or the feeling that you had just made a new friend.

He was born on October 3, 1945, in Burbank, California to Myrna Louise Smetzer and Harold Frederick Weiland. Kurt spent his childhood moving around the world with his parents and younger sister Linda. He lived in Ohio, Libya, Italy, and Germany before returning to California, where he graduated from Lompoc High School.

While in high school, a friend introduced him to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by sharing a promise of eternal families. That message changed the course of his life. His testimony of the gospel and his love for family became the foundation upon which he built everything else.

Kurt attended Brigham Young University, graduating cum laude with a bachelor's degree in English literature. He paused his studies to serve a full-time mission in what was then the North British Mission, an experience he treasured throughout his life. England remained one of his favorite places to talk about, and family members heard many cherished stories from those two years.

After his mission, Kurt enlisted in the Army and served in the Signal Corps before returning to BYU, where he met the love of his life, Kathy Lynne Waite. Their first adventures together included a memorable trip snow tubing at Sundance. Kathy lost her tube partway down the hill, but Kurt never lost Kathy. Thankfully, she gave him another chance, and they were married on June 4, 1968, in the Oakland California Temple. Together they built a joyful home and raised six children.

Following graduation, Kurt was commissioned as an officer in the United States Army, serving his country with distinction for 20 years. His career took him around the world. He completed the Basic Airborne Course at Fort Benning, qualified as a Jumpmaster, and later had the rare distinction of also earning British Jump Wings while training abroad. He served as a company commander at Gibbs Kaserne in Frankfurt, Germany and with the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg. He had teaching assignments at the United States Military Academy at West Point and the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth. Along the way, he also earned master's degrees from the University of Southern California and the University of California, Los Angeles.

After retiring from the Army, Kurt founded Jefferson Smith Training and Consulting, where he designed and taught leadership workshops for organizations across the country and internationally, including in Saudi Arabia.

Teaching wasn’t only a career for Kurt—it was part of who he was. Whether in a classroom, a corporate seminar, a Sunday School lesson, a museum tour, or around the dinner table, he never wasted an opportunity to teach, encourage, or tell a story—and usually all three at once. No topic was off limits–Shakespeare, military history, leadership, the gospel, or the intricacies of classic Mustang restoration. Kurt could make it all sound fascinating.

Retirement did not slow him down. He served another mission for the Church with his wife and oldest son. They grew to love the Tongan Saints of the Riverside 2nd Ward in Salt Lake City. He later volunteered as a docent at Hill Aerospace Museum, where visitors quickly learned they were hearing far more than a tour, rather it was history brought to life by someone who genuinely loved sharing it. In recent years, he decided there were still new things to learn, taking both piano lessons and flying lessons simply because they interested him. He also taught himself to sew, adding utility pockets and patches to his pants and recreating his favorite circa 1980s canvas wallet.

Kurt's greatest joy, however, was always his family. He delighted in cheering on his children and grandchildren, telling stories that somehow became better with each retelling, and creating a home where everyone knew they were loved.

He is survived by his devoted wife of 58 years, Kathy; his children Andrew Frederick “Bear,” Zachary Joseph (Shauna), Sarah Louise (Gavin), Thaddeus McKay (Amy), Leah Margaret (Melvin), and Jacob Spencer (Amie); and his beloved grandchildren Joshua Frederick (Lizzie), Lindsay (Cody), Kara (Henrique), Ally, Aubrey (Connor), Lincoln, Jace, Hallie, Tabitha, Isaac, Gabriella, Isabelle, Vittoria, Benjamin, Ruby, Olive, and Lucy; and his sister Linda. He was preceded in death by his parents.

Funeral services will be held Wednesday, July 22, at 11:00 a.m. at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1800 East Mueller Park Road, Bountiful, Utah. Friends may visit with the family from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m. prior to the service. 

Services will be streamed live on Russon Mortuary YouTube channel and this web page.

Interment, with military honors, will follow at Bountiful City Cemetery.

The family extends heartfelt gratitude to the compassionate caregivers at LDS Hospital, especially Doctors Pellatt, Lewis, Challa, and Linson and the “Pepsi nurse” Sam; to Symbii Healthcare and nurse Lupe; and to the many friends, neighbors, and loved ones whose kindness and support carried our family through this difficult time.

To know Kurt was to have been taught something, encouraged in some way, or treated like an old friend. He believed every person had a story worth hearing, and he had a remarkable gift for making people feel like theirs mattered. His stories will continue to be told, his lessons remembered, and his example of faith, kindness, patriotism, and love for family will live on in all who knew him.