Adtran co-founder John Jurenko, one of Huntsville's leading entrepreneurs and philanthropists, died Thursday. He was 80.
Mayor Tommy Battle Friday called Jurenko one of Huntsville's "quiet but very generous souls." Jurenko and his wife, Ruth, were "stalwarts in many facets of our community," the mayor said.
Jurenko, Mark C. Smith and Lonnie McMillan founded the Huntsville telecommunications company Adtran in 1985 and quickly experienced rapid growth as a supplier of equipment to regional Bell companies spun off by AT&T. Now publicly traded and a leading supplier of networking and communications equipment, Adtran's landmark campus occupies a central place in Huntsville's Cummings Research Park. Jurenko was Adtran's vice president of sales and marketing.
"John was one of the visionaries that helped form our company and establish a culture that lives on to this day," Adtran Chairman and CEO Tom Stanton said Friday. "He was more than just a businessman. He cared about the community. He and his wife, Ruth, through their philanthropic efforts, have touched the lives of countless individuals in the Huntsville/Madison County area. The ADTRAN family and the Huntsville community will forever be grateful for his many contributions."
Jurenko and his wife are known as two of Huntsville's most generous philanthropists. Beneficiaries of their giving have included city cultural centers such as the symphony, botanical garden and art museum, among others.
"I can tell you that he meant so much to our Huntsville Museum of Art, especially during our capital campaign," arts patron Betsy Lowe said Friday. "He and his wife gave a gallery. He was so generous." Lowe called Jurenko "a fine man and a good citizen."
Jurenko was lauded and appreciated for his generosity, but he was loved and respected for his personality. "Extremely gracious and a pleasure to be with," art museum Executive Director Christopher Madkour said. "A real gentle man."
"He didn't say a whole lot," Battle said, "but when he did it was always something you should listen to."
Middie Thompson, who served on the Huntsville symphony board with Jurenko, called him "one of the nicest men I have ever known and a true gentleman." She praised Jurenko's "ability to lead and motivate people" and said "he left a hole in the community and all of us who had the opportunity and privilege of knowing him."
Jurenko's survivors include his wife; two daughters, Carole J. Jones (George) and Janet J. Brown (David); and three grandchildren, Laura J. Plummer (Tommy), Adam Brown and Garrett Brown. His funeral will be Monday at 2 p.m. at Grace Lutheran Church following visitation from 12-2 p.m. at the church. His complete obituary is here.