Carl S. Gurtman

Beloved husband, father, grandfather, friend and longtime York, ME resident Carl Gurtman died on September 26 at the age of 81. A student and lover of science and the world at large long into his retirement, Carl had varied interests and passions, among them bird watching, etymology, stamp collecting, Irish music, military history, lively debate on any topic and, most dear to his heart, his four grandsons, who will remember him as their brilliant Papa, always ready with his signature generosity and generosity of spirit (and likely a joke or pun).

Carl Sidney Gurtman was born April 7, 1943 in Tacoma, Washington to Frederique (Greenberg) and William Gurtman in the twilight of World War II. The child of an Army man and a teacher, he came of age in New York, moving to the Bronx and then Yonkers. After graduating from Yonkers High School, Carl attended Columbia University in the City of New York, from which he earned both a BS and MS in Nuclear Engineering.

Carl was not born a son of Maine, but it is where he built and lived his life alongside his adored wife Linda. They married in 1970 in Portland, and started their life together in Kittery before moving their growing family to York. Carl’s first job was at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, the U.S. Navy's oldest continuously operating shipyard. He started his work on submarines there in 1965, and continued there until his retirement in 2002, holding numerous positions in the nuclear engineering department.

Carl stayed active and engaged in his community as a retiree, serving on the board of Portsmouth Maritime Commission, as President of the New England Vexillological Society, and as Secretary of the Astronomical Society of Northern New England, where he delighted in sharing his love of the stars. An avid volunteer, he gave of his time to the York Land Trust, the York Public Library, and York Elementary School. To the amusement of his family, Carl posed as a figure model at a local art college, where he also took classes. Carl was a biking enthusiast deeply inspired by the beauty of Maine; for 30 years, he biked to and from work, was a participant and volunteer with the Trek Across Maine fundraiser, and, as member of the Granite State Wheelers, led a weekly ride.

Carl was predeceased by his sons David and Benjamin, and leaves his wife Linda, daughter Sarah, sons Nathan and Daniel, son-in-law Matthew Chisholm, grandsons Isaac and Aaron Gurtman and Benjamin and Henry Chisholm, and sister Barbara Oustatcher.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the York Public Library or the Astronomical Society of Northern New England to honor Carl’s love of books, science, and learning.

A gathering for friends and family to remember and celebrate Carl’s life will be held on Sunday, October 27 from 12:30 - 3 PM at the Dockside Restaurant in York, ME.

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