Jose Kuri, MD

Jose Kuri, MD passed away on December 6, 2020. He was born in 1925 in San Miguel, El Salvador and graduated from medical school from the University of El Salvador. He came to the United States to continue his education and completed his fellowship at Columbia University, followed by his residency at the University of Texas Galveston Medical Branch, and earned his Board Certification in Neurological Surgery. In 1956, he returned to El Salvador where he served as the country’s first Neurosurgeon, providing care to a population of over five million people, while also serving as the Professor of Neurological Sciences and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of El Salvador. In 1967, he became the General Director of the Instituto Salvadoreno del Seguro Social and was an integral part of the development and establishment of El Salvador’s original Social Security system. In his spare time, he offered his services through volunteer work at the Salvadoran Association of Rehabilitation. In 1975, he arrived in Brownsville and opened his private medical practice. During his extensive career, he served as a Neurosurgeon at Brownsville Medical Center and Valley Regional Medical Center, and as a professor at the University of Tamaulipas. In 1990, he was named the Medical Director of Rehabilitation Services at Valley Regional Medical Center. In 2005, he became the Assistant Medical Director at South Texas Rehabilitation Hospital, where he continued to work until he retired in 2018.

His list of friends included presidents, generals, Nobel prize winners, and numerous other world leaders and historians. He was the guest of honor of General Omar Torrijos, the Maximum Leader of Panama and was asked to witness the signing of the Panama Canal Treaty in Washington D.C. He co-authored a book, “The Spine at Trial†with his good friend Ed Stapleton and wrote countless short stories.

He was preceded in death by his first wife of 56 years, Maria Julia Villavicencio de Kuri, and his son, Jorge Elias Kuri. He is survived by his wife, Teresa Contreras de Kuri. He leaves as his legacy four children, Jose Miguel, Yvonne Marie, Victor Alfredo, and Raul Horacio Kuri Villavicencio and grandchildren Yvonne Michele Kuri, Juan Carlos Arroyo, Denise Renee Kuri, Christine Marie Kuri, Katherine Juliet Riley, Gabriella Arroyo, Marisa Victoria Kuri, Victor Jose Kuri, Joseph Michael Kuri III, Jorge Andres Kuri, Christopher Kuri, and Robert Kuri; 1 great grandchild Julian Stuart Kuri. He is mourned by nieces and nephews and extended family in El Salvador.

He will be remembered as a devoted husband, father and grandfather, a respected colleague, a wise councilman, a vivid storyteller, and a passionate caregiver to all of the patients he served throughout his career. He will be greatly missed by all who were lucky enough to have had him in their lives.

The family wishes to express their gratitude to Dr. Juan Martinez, Dr. Kalim Habet, Dr. Ahmad Karkoutly and the staff at Valley Regional Hospital. They have a special gratitude toward the staff at South Texas Rehab Hospital, where Dr. Kuri spent the last 13 years of his extensive career. He felt most at home there and he felt fortunate to work with such a wonderful group of people who always made him feel loved.

Funeral Mass will be held on Thursday, December 10, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. at St. Luke Catholic Church in Brownsville. Visitation will be at 3:30 p.m. at Sunset Memorial Funeral Home with recitation of the Holy Rosary at 6 p.m. Services will conclude at the end of the evening.

Services are under the guidance of Sunset Memorial Funeral Home, Crematory & Flower Shop. 657 Springmart Blvd., Brownsville, Texas. (956) 350-8485