Von Poppenheim, in addition to being a professional wrestler, was a licensed upholsterer, as well as tavern owner, in Portland, Oregon.
In 1998, CAC president Red Bastien awarded Von Poppenheim the Golden Potato Award. Red recalls, "Kurt was somewhat short, and always tried to hit me on the forehead, but somehow missed and hit my nose instead. He bloodied my schnoz more times than I can remember."
Long-time road partner Dano McDonald of Seattle, Washington is the one responsible for fondly naming Von Poppenheim "Pappy," as all the boys in the dressing room referred to him throughout his long career.
His caricature appears in Ted Lewin's book, I Was a Teenage Professional Wrestler. Kurt is one of the wrestlers drawn on the wall with a group of others in one of Ted's fine portraits of action from Madison Square Garden.
He leaves behind son Jack and 4 daughters, Joan, Carol, Judy, and Vikki.
His wife, Flora, died in 1995 and his daughter, Vonnie, died in 1995.
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