Pat Curtin

August 4, 1928 – December 3, 2011

Pat Curtin, 83, a retired U.S. Naval Commander and college professor, entered into his rest on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011.

A descendent of Plymouth pilgrim John Jenney, Pat Curtin was born August 4, 1928 to Leroy Owen (a Minor League baseball player) and Dorothy Mae (Thompson) Curtin and was the little brother of Robert Leslie Curtin and Mary Adaline (Curtin) Courtney. He called Forest, Ohio his home town. During World War II he was a Citizens Defense Corps messenger. He played high school baseball and basketball, and was the male lead in a high school operetta. His first job was as an usher in a movie theater (on payday he would go to the drug store and get a vanilla milkshake and 10 cents worth of potato chips). Following high school he enlisted in the U.S. Navy but soon took the fleet exam and was accepted into the United States Naval Academy, in 1948. During his 20-year military career (1952-1972), he served in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Japan, Washington (state), Washington, D.C., and Vietnam. While in Vietnam, he was the commanding officer for Naval Academy graduate Roger Stauchbach and, as a result, became an avid Dallas Cowboys fan. His final duty station as commanding officer of U.S. defense contracting for 17 Florida counties. He retired as a Commander.

The next stage of his life started with a Master’s degree from the University of South Florida in 1974. That same year, he started teaching at St. Petersburg Junior College. He taught Sociology and Marriage & Family at the St. Petersburg Campus. He loved interacting with students and challenging them, often by taking a contrary position on a subject just to make students think critically about their opinion. His activism on behalf of faculty led to the creation of the Faculty Governance Organization. Also, he was appointed to serve on SPJC’s FACET (Focus on Access, Community, and Excellence in Teaching Commission), a group led by former U.S. Secretary of Education Terrel Bell that made recommendations on faculty effectiveness and professional development. He ended his SPJC career as Coordinator of Continuing Education, a position he held until retiring in 1991. In subsequent years, he returned as an adjunct instructor.

Throughout his life, he enjoyed camping, traveling, reading, teasing and joking, building miniature models, completing crossword puzzles, watching and talking sports, as well as playing cards (especially Bridge) and board games (he played a mean game of Sorry). He also took pride in his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, to whom he was known as “grandpa” and “pop.”

He is survived by his wife of 27 years, Sandra Lee Outland (Doubek) Curtin; his sister Mary Adaline Courtney; and three daughters from his first marriage to Dorothy Edith Drick Curtin: Cynthia Kay Curtin Craft, Teresa Marie Curtin (Morgan) Roberts and Patricia Mae Curtin Jones. He was the grandfather of six, Jaclyn Marie Craft York, Casey Wynn Craft, Jefferson Taylor Craft, Jacob Patrick Morgan, Samuel Nicholas Jones and Andrew Patrick Jones. He also is survived by two great-granddaughters, Eva Marie York and Nora Kay York; as well as four stepdaughters, Theresa Lee Doubek (Westphal) Lehmann, Tamara Lynn Doubek Weston, Tracy Ellen Doubek Woodall and Jaime Allison Doubek Racine; nine step-grandchildren, Jennifer Mariah Westphal Thomas, Ryan James Weston, Jillian Bryce Weston, Caitlin Weber Weston, Sean David Weston, Liam Reid Weston, Brianna Ellen Woodall, Allison Maria Racine, Autumn Leigh Racine; one step-great-granddaughter Hailey Elise Thomas and one step-great-grandson (Noah Riley Thomas) due to be born in December.

Pat Curtin was a man of integrity. He will be missed.

A memorial service will be Thursday, Dec. 8, 11 a.m. at Oakhurst United Methodist Church in Seminole. Donations may be made in his name to Oakhurst United Methodist Church or Suncoast Hospice.

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