My story of Kurt:
I lived with Kurt for 22 years. It was packed in with so many experiences and condensed to the point that it feels like it was 60 years... 60 amazing and unforgettable years. It has been the highlight of my entire life.
I learned a lot of things from him, but the most important were his philosophy and his good judgement. In order to give such good advice and have such sound judgment, he had read many, many books.
I also admired the respect with which he held his friends and those friendships throughout his entire life. He never abandoned those he felt close to. He strived to make the boundaries of space and time non-existent between him and his friends.
He was born in the upper society in Germany. He immigrated to the US at a young age, penniless. He told me that he didn't mind where he slept, or what he ate, and he never felt poor, but he knew he couldn't always buy lunch for his girlfriends. That was hard for him, and painful, because he was a true romantic. It pushed him to become very flexible and creative in many ways, so that he could maintain his high romantic ideals. He loved fairy tales, and believed in the hope and messages they held.
He constantly and consistently strived for personal perfection. Mentally, professionally and physically. He exercised regularly, jogging through Santa Monica to keep himself in shape. He even ran marathons, including one close to his 80th birthday.
He created a unique life for himself in the United States, that included working in Hollywood for Warner Brothers (as a messenger for Jack Warner and his brother), working as the first television cameraman West of the Mississippi, fighting for his country in WWII, starting his own production company to make award winning educational films, holding a position in the Venice City Planning committee that approved and designed parts of the Venice Boardwalk, and on the grand jury in the Los Angeles County, as wells as being an ordained minister, and single-handedly starting his own self-funded non-profit foundation (The Sovereign Fund) to award those who furthered the quest for individual freedom in America.
Although Kurt and I didn't talk much, we knew each other very well. He is my soul. I am so glad that I finally found my soul.
Kurt wanted to help and give his advice because of his experiences. Dylan Stewart was one of the beneficiaries of Kurt's wisdom. Trying to explain the relationship between Dylan, Kurt and myself is a long, long story. But I believe there is still to this day a very deep connection between the three of us.
Many thanks to Dylan for encouraging me to create this website for Kurt, which is my legacy and my life, and my gift to Kurt's legacy and his life.
Thank you Dylan, I could not have ever made it without you.
And thank you to everyone who contributed to make this site possible. The pictures, the stories, the emails have all lightened my heart. Without them, there would be no website. They have brought Kurt's memory back into my life, and into full focus. This site could not have happened without each and every one of you, and the relationship that we all separately and collectively shared with my Kurt.
Atsuko Kawahara
Brentwood, California
