He Joined the U.S. Air Force (USAF) on September 23, 1951, and served for nearly 28 years. Highlights of John’s career were serving in the Korean & Vietnam wars and on assignment directly supporting the highly revered USAF General Curtis LeMay. While in the USAF, John travelled the world serving at Sampson Air Force Base (AFB), New York; Connelly AFB, Texas; Itazuke Air Base (AB), Japan; Langley AFB, Virginia; Bolling AFB, Washington, DC; Korat AB, Thailand; Tan Son Nhut AB, Vietnam; Nakhon Phanom AB, Thailand; Hickam AFB, Hawaii; Clark AB, Philippines; and Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. While in the Philippines, John met the love of his life Elvira “Elvie” C. Sansing and would later be joined in holy matrimony on September 19, 1978.
After serving nearly three decades in the USAF, John officially retired as a Senior Master Sergeant on August 31, 1979, at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. John was a student of life with a great appreciation for education. Before retiring from the USAF, he earned his Associates of Arts Degree.
Following his retirement from the military, John and Elvie moved overseas where he continued his second career as a Department of Defense contractor in Turkey for 19 years. He was employed by various companies such as Boeing, Holmes & Narver, and Vinnell, Brown & Root. John worked at three military installations in Turkey: Incirlik AFB, Ankara AB, and Izmir AB. While in Turkey, he joined the Masons and became a member of the Elwood Maxwell Military Lodge #39 of Delaware jurisdiction where he was an active member from 1986-1998.
John and Elvie moved back to Maryland in 1998 where he filled his days with love, laughter, family, friends, and food. John enjoyed entertaining friends and family by cooking with love and showcasing his expert knowledge of the culinary arts. His cooking was often accompanied by stories from his many travels and friends he’d made along the way. One story he often told, while laughing infectiously, involved his beloved bread pudding. He’d made the dish for a friend only to find that he accidentally added cayenne pepper instead of ground cinnamon.
In addition to his love for cooking, John was a fan of jazz music, playing spades, gambling, bowling, boxing, golf, and watching his Washington Football Team & Baltimore Ravens football games. Later in life John revealed his secret to staying young: maintaining a healthy green lawn. Caring for his lawn was a labor of love that John performed until four years ago.
John is preceded in death by his parents, brothers, James Dunbar Curtis, Joseph Lionel Curtis, Jerome Kenneth Curtis, Francis Xavier Curtis, and Charles Leon Curtis; and son, John P. Curtis Jr.
John leaves to cherish his memory: his loving wife of 43 years, Elvira; beloved children, Michael Curtis, Patrick “Hoagie” Curtis, Jackie Curtis, Donna Curtis, Kim Curtis, Juan Curtis, Monica Curtis-Heflin (Vincent), Patricia Curtis, Mary Debord (Dale) and Anthony Curtis (Janel); siblings, Bernard Maurice Curtis and Dorothy Cecelia Curtis-Young (William); daughter-in-law, Charlotte Curtis; and a host of cousins, nieces, nephews, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and friends.
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