Posted on 06/25/2018
Capt. Kurt MacGregor Trautman (Sep. 7, 1945 to June 19, 2018)
Captain Kurt MacGregor Trautman, 72, died in Bremerton on June 19, 2018. A loving husband, father, brother, and uncle, he devoted his career to serving in the United States Navy before retiring in 1995. He received the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, and numerous other personal awards during his career.
Capt. Trautman was born in Fort Collins, CO on September 7, 1945 to the late Randall Dee Witt Trautman and Lucille MacGregor Trautman. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Weapon System Engineering from the United States Naval Academy in 1967. He began serving in the Navy in 1969 after attending Naval Nuclear Power School, Nuclear Power Training Unit, and Submarine School in Groton, CT, where he met and married his wife, Marty, in August of 1968. As a Naval reservist, he briefly worked with Aerojet Nuclear Corporation in Idaho Falls, ID and then re-entered active duty in 1973 as a Weapons Officer on the USS William H. Bates in Groton, CT. He served as Navigator for the USS Seahorse in Charleston, SC before returning to Groton in 1978 to serve as an Instructor at the Combat School in New London, CT and a tour as Executive Officer. Beginning in 1985, Commander Trautman served for three years as Commanding Officer on the USS William H. Bates in San Diego, CA (awarded the Navy Distinguished Service Medal for exceptional operational performance) and then as Assistant Chief of Staff and Tactical Team Leader for the Staff Submarine Force, USS Pacific Fleet in Pearl Harbor, HI. He then served as Commanding Officer on the USS Florida Gold and Deputy Commander of the Submarine Squadron Seventeen, both in Bangor, WA. After retiring, Capt. Trautman worked for Darlington, Inc., supporting the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Newport Division and worked as as a combat systems engineer and director of the Center's Newport Division Detachment in Bangor. He retired in 2014. Since 1992, Capt. Trautman and his wife had lived and enjoyed many friendships in Poulsbo.
Capt. Trautman was preceded in death by his wife, Marcia Goodman Trautman, his son, Stefan Trautman, and his stepmother, Eloise Trautman. He is survived by his son, Erich Trautman and wife, Caroline, of Cary, NC; his sister, Andrea Hart and husband, Al, of Billings, MT; his sister- and brother-in-law, Cindy and Jim Turse, of Mattapoisett, MA; his nephews and great-niece; and his faithful cat companions, Thomas and Jack. During his life, he was a devoted follower of Jesus Christ and utilized his leadership skills and knowledge to serve Sylvan Way Baptist Church and Poulsbo Community Church. He took comfort and joy in daily Bible readings and was active in Bible Study Fellowship.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, June 27 at Poulsbo Community Church at 651 NW Finn Hill Road in Poulsbo. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Code Purple Now (Suzanne Wright Foundation) to aid in the battle against pancreatic cancer: The Suzanne Wright Foundation, 610 Fifth Avenue, Suite 605, New York, NY 10020.
Published in Kitsap Sun from June 23 to June 24, 2018