Curtis Ray Cahoon

      “Give me a problem and I’ll hand you a solution.” Those who knew Curtis Ray Cahoon would agree that that motto accurately described him. Curtis was a man of great drive and a very original, independent thinker. For Curtis, no challenge was impossible, and just about any desired result was within his grasp. Curtis placed great trust in his intuition. Since that intuition generally led him in the right direction, who was he to doubt it.

       He was the son of Linwood and Vida Cahoon.

      Curtis grew up with two siblings. He had one sister, Viola and one brother, Linwood. Curtis could be seen as being stubborn by his siblings. It was important to him that he was perceived as “right” when it came to his part in those typical family spats. However, this quality did not over power his caring for his family. This ability to balance his family, with his need to be seen as right, helped him to develop into a young adult while enjoying many good times with his family.

       Dorathy's sensitivity to Curtis's needs proved to be a wonderful influence on this man, who preferred to live in his “gut.” Dorathy's influence brought Curtis to a new emotional level, one that eventually enhanced all of his other gifts and abilities. Dorathy was able to help Curtis appreciate the fact that others made contributions and Curtis became better at interacting with those around him. Because of this, Curtis grew as a person.

      Curtis often neglected his own feelings in order to give to others. This was very true when it came to how he dealt with his children. He was able to hand on to each child a number of strong values. He taught them to appreciate their abilities, gave them a desire to persevere despite obstacles and set within them a drive to succeed. He had three children,, Theresa, Christina, and Curtis. He also had 5 grandchildren, Jennifer, Brian, Juliana, Curtis,III, and Karyan. They were always aware of how much Curtis loved them.

      Curtis was an US Marine Corp veteran. Through his hard work and dedication, he achieved the rank of 1st sergeant.

      For Curtis, his outside interests and hobbies became another exercise in learning and mastering areas that interested him. He greatly enjoyed unraveling the "hows" and "whys" that lay behind his hobbies. Curtis was always pushing himself to learn more and to stretch his knowledge base even further. He firmly believed that the more things that he knew the more control he would have over things. His favorite pursuits were spending time loving his family, bass fishing and bowling.

      Curtis Ray Cahoon was always drawn to what was measurable, practical and factual. He was a very competent person who expected competence from others. He could be headstrong and certain about the way things were supposed to be. He was determined in every aspect of his life and certain that he was usually right about things. He trusted his intuition over all else, even if it opposed the popular belief, and he had faith in his inner vision and speculations. He wanted to be acknowledged by others as having made a contribution to whatever he was working on. His family and friends will miss his fierce determination, relentless innovations and analytic mind. He leaves with all those who knew him many wonderful memories.

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Curtis Ray Cahoon 83, of Havelock, NC passed away Thursday, May 5, 2016, at EastCarolina Medical Center. He retired as 1st Sergeant in United States Marine Corps. Besides loving his family he enjoyed bass fishing and bowling.

He is preceded in death by his sister, Viola Wren and both parents, Linwood and Vida Cahoon. His survivors include his wife, Dorathy H. Cahoon, of 55 years; children, Theresa Johnson, Christina Bragman, and Curtis Ray Cahoon, Jr.; one brother, Linwood Cahoon, Jr.; 5 grandchildren, Jennifer, Brian, Juliana, Curtis,III, and Karyan; 3 great-grandchildren, McKenzie, Lilyana, and Saylor.

Visitation services will be held on Monday, May 9, 2016 between 6 and 8 pm at Cotten Funeral Home with a funeral service on Tuesday, May 10, 2016, at 2 pm also at the funeral home. Burial will follow at New Bern Memorial Cemetery with USMC Military Honors.

Cotten Funeral Home has the honor of assisting the Cahoon family. Online condolences may be made to the family by visiting www.cottenfuneralhome.com

Arrangements under the direction of Cotten Funeral Home, New Bern, NC.