Curtis Ray Green

When Curtis Ray Green walked into the room, those in his company felt a palpable energy. This was just one of many qualities Curtis had and how he impacted those around him. He was a clever and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if he wanted to share in all of their experiences, revel in their lives, and celebrate their discoveries. Curtis was tireless and seemed to have a boundless enthusiasm that served him well throughout his life.

Growing up for Curtis was like one big burst of spontaneity personified. He would join in with friends and family in just about anything. This made his life quite interesting and led to what would be a wide variety of memories. Curtis was born on September 7, 1953 in Laurel, Mississippi. His parents were James L. Green and Donnis Saulters Green Shavers. (His mother later married his step-father, Bobby Shavers).

Curtis enjoyed recounting stories of his childhood in Kenner, Lousiana, including a spider monkey he named Bimbo and he and his father traveling through the mountains of California in an 18 wheeler. Curtis had a great sense of humor and was a natural entertainer, able to keep the people around him amused with stories and tales. While some who knew Curtis might have described him as an idealist, his friends and family understood well that he was always in pursuit of life’s endless possibilities and opportunities.

Curtis was very accepting and supportive of his family. He was perceived as the central person in his family in terms of keeping communication open between the family members. Whenever discord or tension arose within the home, he was typically the person who tried to bring resolution and harmony. This quality, along with his quick wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of people were traits that drew the admiration of others and served Curtis well in his adult life. He was raised with six siblings: older brother, Randy, and younger siblings, Kathy, David, Joseph, Donna Mae and Stan. Curtis and his siblings were very close. He recalled one incident of he and his siblings playing hide-and-seek. During the game, some of the children were hiding in bushes where they could see their grandmother, Molly, rocking on the porch. Curtis and his sister both saw angels kneeling beside their grandmother as she rocked. Their grandmother passed away shortly thereafter.

In addition to his Grandma Molly, Curtis had his grandfather, Stanley Saulters, and grandmother, Ruby Hickman. Curtis said when his parents disagreed, he could count on his "Big Mama" coming to pick up he, hhis mother and siblings. When he saw her coming up the road in her Volkswagon, he knew everything would be okay. He was also close to other family members. Later on, Curtis lived with his Uncle Bill and Aunt Jean. It was during this time that he met his future wife, Glora Batton, whose family lived next door. Uncle Bill had a country music band, and Curtis loved to listen to them play and would often sing along.

Even as a young boy, Curtis was able to empathize and identify with many different kinds of people. This quality drew him into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. He was intelligent and had little trouble getting along with his peers. He was almost always the first to jump in when it came to playing games or participating in other childhood activities. He enjoyed playing sports as a youngster, especially football and baseball with his family. One of his favorite hobbies was coin collecting. He and his siblings also enjoyed sitting around teaching each other how to play the guitar.

Due to his family's frequent moves, Curtis never attended one particular school for very long. He received his GED in the late 1980's, an accomplishment he was very proud of. On the night he received his GED, Mr. Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy's, was in attendance, and sat and talked with Curtis for a while.

With a talent for making friends easily, Curtis was very sociable and could blend without effort into any number of different social groups. Assertive and outgoing, he was easy to know and often demonstrated a deep concern for others. He always seemed aware of what was going on with people around him and throughout his life he made many, many friends, including Bill Bounds and John Fitch.

After Curtis and Gloria were introduced by his sister, Kathy, a courtship quickly ensued, with their first date being a drive-in movie.

Curtis was away for several days during the 1972 Christmas holidays. When he returned, he told Gloria how much he had missed her and asked her to marry him. They were married on March 9, 1973 in a small family service held at the home of Gloria's parents. The ceremony was officiated by Rev. J. L. Reeves.

For their honeymoon, Curtis and Gloria traveled to Hattiesburg, Mississippi, where they stayed in a Holdiay Inn situated on a high hill, a place Curtis had always wanted to stay.

Curtis skill at “building bridges” played an important role in his ability to make his new family happy. Curtis was tenderhearted and sensitive, qualities that served him well in helping to nurture his family. Their first residence was a trailer on Old Brandon Road in Pearl, Mississippi. The first home Curtis and Gloria purchased was on Lodi Street in Pearl, directly across the street from Uncle Bill and Aunt Jean and Gloria's parents.

Curtis and Gloria were blessed with three children, Stephanie Michelle, Curtis Richard and Melanie Ann. Curtis was a natural and creative parent who wanted to provide his family with all sorts of new and interesting experiences. For him, parenting was a particularly enjoyable and pleasurable part of his life. Every activity, from chores to bedtime routines, became a game in their home. His children loved to sit and listen to their Dad play the guitar and sing their favorite songs.

The couple made a number of good friends as they were building their family, including John and Kay Fitch. Once, they all took a fun-filled trip to Six Flags Over Georgia.

Curtis passed on his love of animals to his children. When the first grandchild was born, his dog, Samantha, would stand on her hind legs and rock the baby cradle.

Over the years, Curtis held several positions within the retail grocery industry, including stock clerk and manager, dairy manager, and grocery manager for various area stores such as Sunflower, Kroger, Jitney Jungle and Save Rite. Like in other aspects of his life, Curtis was able to make friends easily in the workplace. Some of these friends included Kenny Warren, Phillip Manning and Ed Haymen.

Curtis enlisted in the National Guard in September 1979 and went to basic training at Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri. Curtis really enjoyed his time there, marveling at the snow.

Curtis enjoyed many things throughout his life. When it came to food and drink, he enjoyed tomato gravy or sausage gravy. His favorite movie was "Overboard", however most of the time he watched TV shows and movied his children and grandchildren liked. His favorite music was country and he enjoyed the humor in everyday life, often joking with those around him.

In 2002, Curtis became disabled while employed with Save Rite on Ellis Avenue in Jackson, Mississippi and was forced to retire. Since he was such a flexible person and able to adjust to any situation, retirement was just another enjoyable change of pace for Curtis to experience. Even in retirement he found it easy to make new friends, one of which was Willy Brown, as well as stay in touch with his old friends.

Curtis Ray Green passed from this life on Thursday, May 12, 2011 while at his home in Pearl at the age of 57.

He was preceded in death by his brother, David, and his parents.

He is survived by his wife Gloria Batton Green of Pearl; daughters, Stephanie McIlvoy and husband Rob of Pearl and Melanie Floyd and husband Chris of Pearl; son, Richie Green of Pearl; grandchildren, Skylar McIlvoy, Ariel McIlvoy, Rane McIlvoy and Delaney Rae Floyd; sisters, Kathy Gatwood and husband Guy of Prentiss and Donna Mae Green of Petal; brothers, Jim Green and wife Ruth of Petal, Joseph Green and wife Rose of Pearl and Stan Green and wife Barbara of Flowood; and many other relatives and friends.

Services were held at 4:00pm on Saturday, May 14, 2011 in the chapel of Baldwin-Lee Funeral Home in Pearl. Curtis was laid to rest in Floral Hills Memory Gardens in Pearl.

There was always a certain style and inventiveness to Curtis Ray Geeen. He was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. He had a knack for being clever, creative, and witty. For others, he was a joy to be around. While he was often fiercely independent, many others looked to him for inspiration, leadership, wisdom, and even courage. Curtis Ray Green was always more than willing to share life’s experiences with those he loved.