Charles Kurfess

{{Short description|American politician (1930–2024)}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Charles F. Kurfess

| image = Charles F. Kurfess - 4th District - Ohio House of Representatives 109th General Assembly - DPLA - 5586be78567b1fe89fca76f0a79cfcb8 (page 6) (cropped).jpg

| image name =

| caption = Kurfess, c. 1971-72

| office = 94th Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives

| constituency =

| term_start = January 2, 1967

| term_end = December 31, 1972

| preceded = Roger Cloud

| succeeded = A. G. Lancione

| constituency1 = 83rd district

| term_start1 = January 2, 1973

| term_end1 = December 31, 1978

| preceded1 = Walter Paulo

| succeeded1 = Robert Brown

| constituency2 = 4th district

| term_start2 = January 3, 1967

| term_end2 = December 31, 1972

| preceded2 = District created

| succeeded2 = James Celebrezze

| birth_date = {{birth date|1930|02|01}}

| birth_place = Perrysburg, Ohio, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|2024|3|1|1930|2|1}}

| death_place = Perrysburg, Ohio

| party = Republican

| spouse = Helyn Rudolph Kurfess

| term_end3 = December 31, 1966

| term_start3 = January 1, 1957

| office1 = Member of the Ohio House of Representatives

| constituency3 = Wood County

| succeeded3 = District abolished

}}

Charles Frederick Kurfess (February 1, 1930 – March 1, 2024) was an American politician. He was a member of the Ohio House of Representatives, serving as Speaker of the House for part of his career. He was first elected in 1956 to an at-large district, and was elected eleven times following. Following his retirement from politics, he went on to serve as a judge on the Wood County Court of Common Pleas.{{cite web|url=http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100201/COLUMNIST44/2010321/-1/NEWS16 |title=Apologies in politics are unprecedented |work=The Toledo Blade |date=2010-02-10 |accessdate=2010-05-20}} He also worked under presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford.{{cite web|url=http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100104/NEWS16/100109948 |title=Wood County ex-judge honored for service |work=The Toledo Blade |date=2010-01-04 |accessdate=2010-05-20}}

Born in Wood County, Ohio, in 1930,{{cite web |title=Milestone; 90th Birthday, Charles Kurfess |url=https://www.sent-trib.com/community/milestone-th-birthday-charles-kurfess/article_4cd5f424-54d9-11ea-95ec-ffd32d3edde3.html |publisher=Sentinel-Tribune |accessdate=29 February 2020}}{{cite book|title=American Legislative Leaders in the Midwest, 1911-1994|author1=Sharp, N.W.|author2=Sharp, J.R.|date=1997|publisher=Greenwood Press|isbn=9780313302145|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uAYnZlEk-iEC&pg=PA153|page=153|accessdate=2015-07-12}} Kurfess earned his B.A. degree from Bowling Green State University, where he was initiated as a member of Phi Kappa Tau, and earned his J.D. degree from the Ohio State University Law School in 1957. Kurfess died on March 1, 2024, at the age of 94.[https://www.nbc4i.com/news/local-news/central-ohio-news/charles-f-kurfess-former-ohio-speaker-and-judge-dies/ Charles F. Kurfess, former Ohio Speaker and judge, dies]