Klaus Wuersig Obituary

CUBA, N.Y. - Admired by many, Klaus Wuersig passed away unexpectedly Dec. 2, 2023, at his home in Cuba.
Klaus was born in 1939 to parents Gerhard and Charlotte Wuersig of Görlitz, Germany, and was the eldest of three sons. Born in Germany at the onset of World War II, Klaus and his mother together faced many hardships before finally being reunited with his father after the war. Klaus and his parents fled their home city before it was made part of East Germany, moving to a small village near Celle, (West) Germany. In 1956, Klaus, his brothers, and parents immigrated to the United States and settled in Fremont, Ohio. There, Klaus attended high school while also working at nearby factories and a television repair shop to help support the family.
After completing high school, Klaus attended Tri-State (now Trine) University in Angola, Ind., where he worked his way through college to earn his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering. He soon traveled to Cuba, to work at Acme Electric as a design engineer. In August 1965 he met the love of his life, Celeste M. Curcio, at the Skyloft near Cuba Lake. Married in 1966, the two had three children and a lifetime of adventures together.
Klaus earned his master's degree from Clarkson University, which began his long career as a professor of electrical engineering. He taught for nearly 30 years at SUNY Alfred, one year at the University Technology Malaysia, and, after retiring from Alfred, two years at Zayed University (Dubai, UAE). After returning from the UAE in 2000, Klaus continued his teaching career at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, retiring in 2020 at the age of 81.
Known for his fortitude, intellect and sense of humor, Klaus had a large circle of friends. He loved his adopted country, and had a fierce reverence for the U.S. Constitution. Ever an advocate for justice, in 1990 Klaus was arrested for civil disobedience when he and fellow protesters denied access to a proposed nuclear waste dump site. Their dedicated and collective efforts would eventually overturn plans to store nuclear waste in Allegany County.
With their lifelong love of travel, Klaus and Celeste journeyed to many countries, inevitably making friends all over the world. Klaus loved cars, sailing, gardening, and had an incredible knack for reciting from memory classic German poems and funny little rhymes. He also loved to sit with a glass of wine and listen and sing along to folk, country, western, and German music. Most of all though, Klaus's perseverance in overcoming life's obstacles inspired everyone he met. He, his honesty, hardworking nature, and zest for life will be greatly missed.
Klaus is survived by daughters Elke (Ronan) and Renate (Vinay); daughter-in-law Lisa (Erich); grandchildren, Dan Wuersig, Kirsten (Kate) Wuersig, Peran Miot, Rhodri Miot and Nalini Iyer; great-grandchildren, Raelynn, Makenzie and Ian; brother, Bernd Wuersig; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Celeste; son Erich; brother Gerd; and parents, Gerhard and Charlotte.
A celebration of Klaus's life will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, charitable donations in Klaus's honor may be made to the Allegany County Area Foundation, memo Celeste M. Wuersig Language Scholarship; or online at alleganycountyareafoundation.org.
Condolences may also be sent to treusdellfuneralhome.com.