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Jeffrey A. Kurland November 19, 1943 July 11, 2018 Jeffrey A. Kurland died on July 11, 2018, at home after an extended illness. He was born on November 19, 1943, in Queens, N.Y. He graduated from Great Neck North High School, Great Neck, N.Y., in 1961, and from Cornell University with a Bachelor's Degree in Philosophy in 1966. After studying Philosophy at MIT under a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship, he then attended Harvard University, receiving his Ph.D in Anthropology in 1975, and was awarded a Graduate Prize Fellowship. He joined the faculty of the Penn State Department of Anthropology in 1975, and retired as Associate Professor Emeritus of Anthropology and Human Development in 2010. His research in primatology, biological anthropology and evolutionary theory took him to Borneo, Japan, Cayo Santiago, and Botswana. He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Roberta F. Kurland, nee Jalet, of Pennsylvania Furnace; his daughter Jessica E. K. Buckland and grandson Sacha Dmitri Buckland, of State College; his son Samuel Marius Kurland, of Seattle; brother Charles G. Kurland and nieces Lisa, Jennifer and Siri Kurland, all of Sweden; and nieces Hannah, Yetta and Justine Kurland, all of New York, N.Y. He was preceded in death by his parents William and Sylvia Kurland; and by his brother Bruce Kurland. Jeffrey loved music, the arts, science, and his family above all else. The blues, his guitar, and nature gave him solace. Teaching students about the importance of science was his mission in life and brought him great joy and meaning. A memorial celebration will be scheduled at a later date. In lieu of flowers donations can be directed to Amnesty International. https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/centredaily/obituary.aspx?n=jeffrey-a-kurland&pid=189601808
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Marilyn Schiffman (Oser)
In elementary school, Jeffrey was so interested in, and knowledgable, about, astronomy, that we decided he was the kid most likely to spend his honeymoon on the moon!
May his memory be for a blessing.
Marilyn Schiffman Oser
Susan Lederman (Brown)
I remember we called him "rocket ship Jeffrey" at Saddle Rock School...his drawings were amazing!
David Kushner
jeffrey was my good friend in high school. we both wanted to be scientists..didn't happen for me, i wonder what did he do? i completely lost touch with him.
Nathan Taylor
Jeff and I were close while going to Saddle Rock School......He showed me how to draw rockets and airplanes with volume and perspective. What I learned drawing with Jeff, I ultimately used to make drawings that got me into Parsons School of Design...Thanks Jeff. I lost track of him after High School but had such fond momories that I looked him up on Google about a year ago. I found him in the Academic world.. He got his degree in Philosophy at Cornell, then more philosphy studies at MIT ( WOW)...then a Harvard Ph.D in Anthropology ( double WOW), and went on to teach at Penn State. VERY Impressive. Seems like his name was on a gazillion articles and papers in the Anthropology field. Sorry he didn't come to the reunions...we'd have had a lot to talk about. Hey Jeff....you done good....sorry you had to leave us !!
Michael Penchina
Jeff was the original "rocket man". I have fond memories of him and his drawings of going to the moon etc
May he RIP Mike Penchina
Bambe (Barbara) Levine
Jeffrey Kurland drew rocket ships that were bigger, better and more menacing than anything I had ever seen... At least that's what I thought as a fourth greader at Saddle Rock. These were not ordinary rocket ships of earthly wars. Rather, they were designed to ward off inter-galactic interlopers and smite them into smitherines with a flick of Jeffrey's pen. I remember him drawing these rocket ships and wondering even then how different boys were from girls. After all, did you ever see a girl draw a rocket ship? RIP
Bambe (Barbara) Levine