Early on the morning of May 3, 2021, before the sun was set to rise, Wesley Douglas Hurt, Jr. was given his wings and summoned to God’s kingdom for eternal rest. As always, his wife Linda was by his side. At 78 years, Wesley lived a full life, was loved by many, and will be missed by many. He was a kind, gentle, and caring son, husband, father, grandfather, and friend. Wesley was a man who always put others before himself, a person who would give you the shirt off his back. And above all, Wesley loved the Lord because he knew the Lord first loved him.

Wesley was born on November 30, 1942 in Philadelphia, PA to Evelyn Ruth (Finney) Hurt and Wesley Douglas Hurt Sr., both of whom preceded him in death. Wesley was a beloved only child. His father was a Tuskegee Airmen and Wesley grew up with a great love of airplanes. His father also introduced him to jazz music and Wesley, himself, became an avid listener. A favorite pastime of his was watching documentaries and reading books about wartime airplanes. The only thing that kept Wesley from flying was his less than 20/20 perfect vision.

Growing up, Wesley attended school in the Philadelphia Public School system. He graduated from Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, with a Bachelor of Arts-Math degree. After graduating, Wesley worked at Westinghouse in Baltimore in the aerospace department. He did graduate studies at the University of Pittsburgh. Thereafter, he worked in a program for the rehabilitation of prisoners released back into society. He had a passion for peace and social justice for free and incarcerated individuals. In 1975, Wesley (and family) relocated to St. Louis, MO where he taught a civics class at Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville at the East St. Louis campus. Later, he worked a number of years at Monsanto in the division of environmental science as a cost engineer.

In 1986, Wesley left Monsanto and opened his own engineering company, E.R.M. Technologies, Inc., where he continued as CEO and president until his death. His company concentrated on the instrumentation of wastewater treatment facility plants, and he was valued in his field for his wealth of knowledge and stellar workmanship. Throughout the years, Wesley gave opportunities to teens and young adults for summer employment at E.R.M. to gain job experience.

During college, Wesley began dating Linda, although he had known her throughout his childhood (their mothers were college classmates). Wesley and Linda married on August 13, 1966 and enjoyed 54 blissful years together before his death. Wesley loved and adored Linda. They had 3 beautiful daughters, Naja, Njata, and Yasmeen, and he was particularly proud of each of their accomplishments (they each went into the fields of science), and the man each chose to marry. He was active in his grandchildren’s lives and loved them dearly. In fact, Wesley enjoyed having all his family and friends near as he believed the more the merrier. Being an only child, he particularly cherished his close friendships.

Wesley was a faithful member of Christ The King United Church of Christ, formerly known as Independent Congregational Church, for over 40 years. Wesley served in many roles at Christ The King including church council president, devoted Sunday school teacher, and a long-standing choir member. He also served in various capacities in the United Church of Christ regional and national levels including serving on the St. Louis Association Committee on Ministry, as chair moderator at the Missouri Mid-South Conference, and as a member of the United Church of Christ (national) Board.

Wesley was also a Board Member of the Deaconess Foundation, which is a charitable organization whose mission is to serve underprivileged children in St. Louis urban communities. And for over 25 years, Wesley was compassionate in his service as a member of the Division of Youth Service at Missouri Hills and Hogan Street Children’s Homes. He served each role with devotion, honor, and integrity, and the impact of his legacy lives on.

Wesley leaves to cherish his memories wife Linda, daughters Naja Robinson (Eric), Yasmeen Abernathy, M.D. (Thomas, M.D.), son-in-law Marvis Harvey Sr., grandchildren Marvis Jr., Kayla, Marcus, Zariyah, Malcolm, Jamil, Miya, Christian, sister-in-law Judy Duran; a host of nieces, nephews, and cousins; the Outtz family. His daughter Njata Harvey preceded him in death five months earlier.

Wesley wanted his body to be donated to science for the advancement of medical research. MedCure has been entrusted to fulfill his final wish to be of as much service to others in his death as he was in his life. The memorial service for Wesley will be held on Friday, June 4th, at Christ the King United Church of Christ in Florissant, MO at 11:00am.