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 Dennis Gurtz ’68, MBA ’72, knew his wife Carolyn
(education) ’70 was a great cook and baker, but he had no
idea her cookies would be worth so much dough. Carolyn’s
peanut butter cookies took the $1 million grand prize in the
2008 Pillsbury Bake-Off.
Carolyn was among the 100 finalists in Dallas, and like
all finalists she was told to have her bags packed and to be
ready to fly to New York in case she won. Carolyn was
convinced there was no way she would win, so there was no
reason to pack. But Dennis insisted. “I figured if we were
packed and ready to go, I could check out the antique map
store down the street before we had to head to the airport,”
says Dennis, who collects old maps. And Carolyn, much to her
surprise and delight, won the Jif Peanut Butter award, the
category award, and then the million-dollar grand prize.
“Just like that, we were on the plane to New York,” says
Dennis. “We never got to the map store.”
The next few days were a whirl of activity as Carolyn
went through an intense blitz of publicity, including an
appearance on NBC’s “Today” show, all with Dennis waiting
patiently on the sidelines. “I was her personal assistant,”
Dennis laughs.
Carolyn has been entering baking contests since 1972, and
Dennis has been happily eating her creations throughout
their 38-year marriage. They met as Maryland students;
Dennis was very active with Alpha Phi Omega, the service
fraternity, during his time at Maryland, and Carolyn was
active with the service sorority.
Dennis, who majored in accounting, came back to the Smith
School for his MBA while working for Ringling Brothers
Circus: “I juggled the books,” says Dennis. Pursuing an MBA
program part-time was a great fit for Dennis. “I think I
learned more because I could see how my classes applied
while I was working,” says Dennis. “Plus my education was
tax-deductible.”
Now a personal financial planner, Dennis is happy to help
his wife invest her newfound funds wisely. So what’s on his
list of top 10 tips for managing personal finances?
“Live within your income,” he advises. “If you live
within your income, you’re always better off the next year.
And follow the rule of one-third: When you get a raise or
whatever, one-third should go to taxes, one-third for
spending, and one-third for saving. If you do that you’ll
avoid a lot of stress.”
The Gurtzes live with dog Tucker and have two sons,
Michael (fine art) ’99; and David, married to Amy; and one
grandson, Owen.
Get in Touch! Contact information for Dennis and Carolyn
Gurtz is available on the
eAlumni Network.
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