Curtis Lional Adams

“Seeing is believing.” For many, those words simply represent a motto. But for Curtis Lional Adams, it summarized in every way who he was. He was modest, quiet and observant, taking in everything around him and always thinking before acting. He was a realist, someone who was efficient and practical in everything he did. He was a friendly person who truly cared about those around him.

Curtis was born on December 13, 1936 in Caldwell, Kansas and raised in Arkansas City by Clarence Adams and Margaret Turner. He was brought up to be tolerant and trustworthy. As a child, he learned to be conscientious, responsible and punctual. These were all traits that he would carry with him throughout his life.

As a young boy, Curtis was always aware of how others around him felt and this quality served him well. With a deep capacity to tolerate the feelings of others, Curtis was generally able to avoid conflicts. It seemed as if Curtis was the family member who was always working to keep stress at bay. Preferring a quiet environment where he could concentrate, Curtis also had the ability to relate well with his family and friends. Curtis was raised with four siblings. He had one older brother Kenneth and three younger sisters Barbara, Nina and June. Curtis was constantly involved in activities with his family. Curtis and his siblings had the typical rivalries while growing up but they deeply cared for each other and shared many life experiences over the years.

Growing up, Curtis was one of those children who didn’t need to be in the center of a whirlwind of activity. He was content to entertain himself. Curtis was very competitive when engaging in activities

but he was still able to enjoy the pure fun these activities could bring. In everything he did as a child, Curtis was intent on pleasing both the adults and the other children around him. Curtis took part in a number of activities as a child. His favorites were basketball and football.

Curtis enjoyed learning. He always had a great memory and was particularly skilled at retaining factual information. Curtis was generally quiet in class, learning best through observation. He often showed great concentration and was competent at completing the tasks at hand. Good with details, Curtis was painstaking and accurate in his efforts. All of these talents culminated in a successful high school career. He graduated from Arkansas City High School in 1955. Curtis enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite subjects and teachers. His favorite class in high school was English.

Curtis had a good disposition for the challenges of college. He always enjoyed reading, so all of those lengthy required reading assignments seemed to be less of a burden for him. In fact, Curtis seemed to absorb and remember everything he read. Not all things came easily to Curtis, however, and he found success by being a diligent and accurate person who would dig into a project and work through until it reached its completion. He was very thorough and labored long and hard in order to reach his goals. He earned his Bachelor of Liberal Arts. He also pursued graduate school, earning his degree from Kansas State.

Curtis was a good father to his children. He had “old fashioned” parental values and could handle typical family conflicts in a fair and calm manner. Because he trusted emotions, Curtis was reluctant to force issues and used gentle persuasion to resolve situations. In this way he seemed to radiate an aura of warmth and caring to those around him, always thinking before acting. In addition, Curtis was a master planner. No matter how hectic life around him might be, he seemed to know and track everyone’s schedule. Curtis was blessed with ten children, five sons Curt, Carmello, Carrillo, Carlos and Creighton and five daughters Cassandra, Crystal, Cecilia, Marianita and Carmen.

If you gave Curtis a deadline, he would meet it. At work, Curtis was always on task. Without hesitation, Curtis could adhere to any assignment and see it through to its completion. His primary occupation was a Letter Carrier and Facilitator. He was employed for thirty six years with the United States Post Office. During that time, Curtis excelled in working with small groups in order to complete assignments. He was able to quickly grasp concrete ideas and could organize and plan the best way to accomplish things with remarkable consistency. Curtis was good at staying on track and was considerate in listening to what others had to say. In this way, Curtis had a true gift for being able to come up with practical resolutions to difficult problems. He was often the team member who managed to put forth a win/win solution for all parties.

Curtis liked to experience things first hand, in addition to simply learning about them. This quality influenced Curtis's choice of leisure time activities. A methodical and patient worker, Curtis preferred to set aside uninterrupted time to work on his hobbies. His favorite pursuits were going to the movies, but always falling asleep in the movies. Curtis was content to sit quietly alone, enjoying his hobbies all by himself and could often be found just reading about his favorite pastimes.

While thorough and measured in his approach to things, Curtis often liked to physically do things rather than just think about them. He was like that with sports. In high school, Curtis played basketball, track and football. In his college years, Curtis continued to stay active by playing football. He was all American. Recreational sports included football and basketball. He also enjoyed the statistical data and the facts behind the sports. In this way, he was something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching his favorite teams whenever he got the opportunity.

Due to his excellent organizational skills, Curtis was a welcome addition to the professional and community organizations to which he belonged. Curtis could bring established, successful methods to the discussion table, along with a generous helping of common sense. Curtis was good at making and keeping schedules and never got bogged down in unnecessary details. In high school, Curtis was a member of the Lettermen Club and Conference Officer and Merritt Club.

Curtis was active in the community. He was practical and grounded and based his decisions on first hand experience. He was responsible and liked working to achieve results rather than just chattering about possibilities. Politically, Curtis was a Democrat. He attended political rallies.

Anyone who traveled or went on vacation with Curtis had smooth sailing. It was often taken for granted that he was the trip planner. He would start early and examine all of the possibilities, selecting the best and most effective options. Favorite vacations included traveling to Venice Beach and New Orleans.

When Curtis's retirement finally arrived in 1999 from the United States Post Office in Las Vegas, he was well prepared. He had taken the time to learn about his various options and chose his course wisely. Even in retirement, Curtis continued to stay in touch with his old friends while making plenty of new acquaintances. He was active in the community and felt fulfilled with the opportunities retirement offered him.

Curtis passed away on May 25, 2019 at home in Las Vegas surrounded by is significant other Patty Hansen. He is survived by his children Curt, Cassandra, Carmello, Carlos, Crystal, Carrillo, Creighton, Marianita,

Cecilia and Carmen. Curtis is also survived by his thirteen grandchildren. Services were held at Palm Northwest Mortuary and Cemetery.

It is said that some people can’t see the forest for the trees. Curtis was able to focus on each individual tree, tending to its needs, thus making the forest stronger as a whole. Curtis was a trustworthy, pragmatic and sympathetic person, the kind of man to whom everyone was drawn. He was thorough and practical. Curtis Adams was very literal with his words. You always knew where you stood with Curtis. He will be missed.