Stephen T. Jurena

Stephen T. Jurena, a servant of his church, his family, and his community, went on to be with Our Lord and Savior on February 6, 2019, that date being the 8th Anniversary of the passing of his darling wife Arletta. Stephen Thomas Jurena was born on August 23, 1926 in Binghamton, NY, in the 1st Ward. During his youth, he and his family attended Sts. Cyril & Methodious Church. Their house was nearly in the shadow of its steeple, and the church’s bells were probably the neighborhood’s alarm clock for rising, lunch and supper. He attended Binghamton Central High School (1944). During WWII he enlisted and served in the Navy and later served for 6 years with the Army Reserves. After military service, he graduated from St. Bonaventure University (1951), at Olean, in western NY. Shortly after college graduation, Steve married Registered Nurse, Arletta M. LaTourette from Walton, NY. They were married in Binghamton on June 9, 1951. They celebrated 59 ½ years together as a couple and established their family home in Endwell, NY in 1956. In those first few months of marriage, Steve was hired by IBM where he went on to serve in various positions during his career, joining the IBM Quarter Century Club in 1976, and retiring in 1984 after 32 years. Together Steve and Arletta had five children and five grandchildren. Jeanne (Jurena) Summers in 1952, who passed away in Florida in 2003. Her husband Larry Summers passed away not long after. Tom Jurena, born on their 2nd Wedding Anniversary in 1953; he and his wife Tammye live in Sand Springs, Oklahoma also in the Tulsa area, their sons Jeremy (Anna) Jurena and Justin Turner; Kevin Jurena in 1957 who lives and worked in the Triple Cities; Jim Jurena in 1960, of Endwell; his sons, Alan in Maryland and Patrick in Idaho; and Brian Jurena, born in 1969, who lives in Logan, Utah with his daughter Eleanor. Upon moving to Endwell, NY in 1956 - the family became members of St. Joseph Catholic Church. Three of their children attended and graduated from their Parish School. Two of them served the church as Altar Boys. During Steve’s nearly 60 years of participation in their Parish, he sang in the Choir and Folk Group; and sometimes acted as a Lector for Sunday Masses, including Slovak Language Masses. While serving on the St. Joseph Parish Council, he chaired a committee, which produced the first church bulletin that had a business directory on the back page - which funded its printing. He was also a member of the Funeral Luncheon Committee. Steve was a long-term supporter of ACHIEVE, a chapter of Arc NY and a leader in the growth of Broome County and NY State Special Olympics. He received an Award of Appreciation for over 20 years of service. Steve enjoyed volunteering for the Endwell Rotary Club at the annual B.C. Open, a PGA Tournament. He was also a member of the Southern Tier Parkinson Support Group, serving on the Board of Directors. He and Arletta often attended lunches and recreational events at the Binghamton First Ward Senior Center. Steve sang in their choir, sometimes performing solo parts. Steve was an athlete at Binghamton Central High School playing Football and Track; he later Refereed Football. He introduced his children to swimming, first for recreation and later competitive swimming. Steve went on to serve as a Swim Official for 32 years. Steve returned to Track and Field as an official for 14 years, serving as the assigner for his last 7 years. In his spare time Steve, Arletta and their children enjoyed music, gymnastics, scouting, camping, boating, snowmobiling, gardening, and landscaping. After several years of assistance from in home caregivers, Steve transitioned to Skilled Nursing Care at the NY State Veterans Home at Oxford, NY in March of 2015. The Family wishes to thank all of his home caregivers, and the Veterans Home Medical and Administrative Staff for their loving support and care of their father - while he was waiting for his daughter and wife to let him know that his place with them was ready- he had fought the good fight, he had finished his race, he had kept the faith.
Funeral Services will be held Monday 10:30 am from the Allen Memorial Home, 511-513 East Main Street, Endicott, followed by a Funeral Mass at St. Joseph’s Church at 11 am. Entombment will be in Calvary Cemetery, Johnson City. The family will receive friends at the Allen Memorial Home Sunday from 2-4 pm and Monday from 10-10:30 am. In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy in his memory may be made to ACHIEVE.