Curtis Rollins

Curtis’s life story began years before his birth with the marriage of his parents, Timothy C. Rollins and Mildred Naomi (Naoma) Townley on June 12, 1927, and was preceded by the birth of his older brother, Tim Jr., on January 10, 1934.

Then on February 24, 1936, Curtis Glen Rollins arrived at the Wichita Falls Clinic Hospital in Wichita Falls, Texas. The name Curtis Glen may have been a random selection; however, his maternal great-grandmother’s maiden name was Curtis. Tim and Curtis were joined by David Keith born on July 3, 1944. Physically Curtis favored his father’s family and in childhood was called Bud by his paternal grandparents, aunts, and uncles.

Because of the Depression and World War II, most of Curtis’s early activities usually involved improvised outdoor games with his brothers, neighborhood friends, and schoolmates in the small town of Electra, Texas. Often his red Cocker Spaniel, Rusty, would be part of the fun. As well, he enjoyed being a Boy Scout and very much wanted to attend the gathering at Philmont in New Mexico, but circumstances prevented him from doing so. After the war, he did visit Red River, New Mexico, on the only complete family vacation. It was a special trip frequently mentioned, though never revisited. As a child, Curtis was never someone who needed to be the center of attention, so when not involved in outside or inside activities, he developed an interest in reading that continued throughout his life.

Growing up in Electra was a wonderful experience. Friendships were close-knit and long-lasting. Curtis’s first-grade room included three classmates with whom he would later graduate. They were Sandra Tinnin, Dean Werley, and Johnny Cogdell. Shortly thereafter, others were added and became the very special Electra High School Class of 1954. Many of those were also fellow athletes--James (Snooks) Holbrook, Ted (Butch) Price, Presley Sheppard, Joe Frank Taylor--and manager, Jerry Glover.

EHS employed good teachers, who showed an interest in their students and who provided the foundation for further education. Not surprisingly, Curtis’s favorite class was athletics, especially football coached by Bill Sweet. His major accomplishments were lettering in football, basketball, and track (field) as well as playing baseball and golf. Other accomplishments included being selected for two years for all-district honors and being invited to play in the Oil Bowl, a football game between student-athletes from Texas and Oklahoma. Curtis was a good friend and thus had good friends who recognized him with non-athletic awards, such as class favorite his sophomore year, best-looking boy his sophomore and junior years, and runner-up Mr. EHS his senior year.

Throughout high school, Coach Sweet was not only a coach but also a mentor, guiding with pivotal decisions. In earlier years, Curtis felt he might want to pursue a career in state or national forestry. However, when college recruiting began, he chose a scholarship from TCU. Coach Sweet played for Abe Martin in high school and graduated from TCU, so he knew that TCU was a university that was loyal to its athletes if adversity kept them from continuing to play. Curtis trusted Coach Sweet’s knowledge of Coach Martin and TCU’s commitment to loyalty. After Curtis played football and participated in track (field) for the Wogs, the TCU freshman team, he played varsity ball, lettered his senior year, and played in the 1956 and 1957 Cotton Bowl games. In the fall of 1958, he assisted Coach Fred Taylor with the freshman team. While in college, his closest friends were his teammates, particularly Bobby Murray and Allan Laurence.

It was during the fall of 1958 that Curtis and Janis met and had their first date on November 22 to the TCU vs. Rice game in Houston. The date was arranged by one of Janis’s sorority sisters who was dating Allan Laurence. The relationship was enjoyable but not exclusive because of being separated by distance.

In early l959 an opportunity arose for Curtis to teach on a deficiency certificate at Justin, a small school near Fort Worth. During that semester Curtis joined the Air National Guard and at the end of the term left for basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. Curtis felt comfortable with the military structure and considered enlisting at the end of basic training. However, his superior officer was not encouraging, stating that little opportunity existed for advancement in a peacetime military. Even though he remained in the reserves, the decision was then made to return to TCU to complete his degree that fall semester, earning a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education.

While waiting for a teaching/coaching position, he returned to Electra to work during the spring and summer. An opening occurred in Vernon; however, Curtis was contacted by Jerry Salley, a former teammate who indicated there was an opening in Victoria. It was the right decision when in the fall of 1960, he became part of a special group of Victoria High School teachers/coaches that grew to include Tom Pruitt, James Cleveland, Vollie Williams, Norman Bennett, Jerry Salley, Allan Laurence, and Bobby Hultquist. Curtis greatly enjoyed what he did for a living and worked hard at being a good coach a good teacher and a good disciplinarian. He strived to be a mentor to his athletes and students, just as Bill Sweet had been to him.

Settled into their careers, Curtis and Janis resumed dating. Planning to marry during the year, Janis moved from Houston to Victoria to teach at VHS. On February 6, 1965, Janis Ann Kirby became Mrs. Curtis Glen Rollins after vows were exchanged at Spring Branch Christian Church in Houston. In mid-September for precautionary reasons, Janis returned to Houston to await their first and only child, who if a boy would be named Truett for Curtis’s favorite uncle and Kirby for Janis’s father. On October 4, 1965, Truett Kirby Rollins was born, and in mid-November, they were discharged to return to Victoria. Curtis brought the same traditional values in his marriage to bear on how he raised his son. He strived to be a good father, always firm yet fair. He would listen and think carefully before acting, even when it was an adverse situation.

While coaching and teaching, Curtis earned a Master of Science degree from Texas A & I in the summer of 1973. Career changes occurred in 1975 when Curtis became an assistant principal in charge of discipline and 1977 when he became co-owner of Well Service, Inc. In 1985 Curtis returned to coaching and teaching at VHS, where he remained until his retirement in the summer of 1999 with the official retirement dinner in the spring of 2000. His retirement ended over thirty years with the Victoria Independent School District and eight years with Well Service, Inc.

Retirement began; but change did not end in 2000, as Kirby married Kimberley Anne Shelton on August 18, 2001. Then a new generation arrived on August 2, 2005, when Truett Kyle Rollins joined the family. Curtis chose to be called Old Dad, the name of his paternal grandfather.

Long before and throughout retirement, Curtis loved America, its heritage, and its outdoors. His having been an American history teacher and his having enjoyed hunting, fishing and golfing were obvious proof. He was also a member of the Republican Party, the American Petroleum Institute, and the National Rifle Association in addition to a board member of the Shoalwater Flats Association and the Riverside Golf Association. Over the years he was a lifetime member of the TCU Alumni Association and the Lettermen’s Association along with the Frog Club, the Clark Society, and the Britain Society.

If not participating, he would watch his favorite sports in person or on television. Tops on his list were TCU and Baylor events, other college football games, the Dallas Cowboys, most PGA tournaments, and the San Antonio Spurs.

In addition to and often in connection with sports, Curtis enjoyed certain types of travel. Favorite trips included his family’s vacationing in New Mexico, his hunting in Colorado and Wyoming, fishing in Louisiana and Alaska, and golfing in Mississippi. Enjoyable trips for him and Janis included TCU bowl games in Dallas, Houston, Mobile, and Memphis, an Alaskan cruise, a Baltic cruise, a San Juan Island cruise as well as visits to Big Bend, Mexico’s Copper Canyon, Glacier National Park, the Southwest, Biloxi, Boston, Colorado Springs, Las Vegas, Nashville, Natchez, San Francisco, Seattle, Tahoe, Vancouver and Washington, D.C.

Having a serious side and being true to his upbringing, Curtis possessed a quiet yet deep faith. He was reared as a Baptist but became acquainted with the Disciples of Christ when attending TCU. The central part of any Christian Church service is open communion, and it was the most important to him. Both he and Janis joined and served in the First Christian Church for over forty years during which time Kirby was baptized.

During his declining health, a terrier mix named Addy was his last pet and faithful companion. Then on January 30, 2014, at DeTar Hospital Curtis slipped away surrounded by loving family. He is survived by his wife Janis, son Kirby, daughter-in-law Kim, and grandson Truett Kyle. Other loved ones include his brother Keith and sister-in-law Millie as well as his former sister-in-law Barbara, and his cousins Pat and Ruth Cox.

Commitment is a keyword that can be used to describe the life of Curtis Rollins. He was committed to living the life of a good man who was both loyal and trustworthy. He was committed to the traditional values that he upheld his entire life. Most of all, he was committed to his faith, his family, and his friends.