Thomas Curtis

Thomas Malcolm Curtis, 94, of North Little Rock died Tuesday, July 12, 2011 of complications of stomach cancer. He was born April 8, 1917 in Jackson, Tennessee to T.D. “Doss” Curtis and Elaine McCaslin Curtis. His family moved to Arkansas in 1928 where his dad was employed as a machinist by the Missouri Pacific Railroad. After graduating from NLR High, Tom also worked for many years as a machinist for Mo Pac. He retired in 1980. As a young man he was avidly interested in sports especially baseball. He spent many hours playing ball at Lamar Porter Field. He played on the American Legion team that was the first to win the state championship in 1934. He also played semi Pro baseball for 20 years and was invited by the St. Louis Browns to attend their training camp. When he grew older he took up golf where he excelled. He played the game for over 30 years. During this time he had five holes in one. He amassed a large collection of trophies from baseball, softball and golf. He attended Park Hill Baptist church where he was a member of the Simpson Sunday School Class and a Shepherds Volunteer. He belonged to Masonic Lodge 633 where he became a 32nd degree Mason-Royal Arch and received a fifty year pin. Tom said he hoped that everyone would remember him as a good and dependable man. In his long and active life he seldom worried. One of his favorite Authors was Benjamin Franklin that he often quoted, in stressful times, his admonition. “If you can’t control it don’t worry about it.” In the later part of his life, he enjoyed meeting with friends for coffee, collecting coins, and any activity that involved sports. He is one of the few people that loved to grocery shop and was proud of the bargains he found. His family and friends will miss him. He is survived by his wife of 73 years Mary Obera (Kega) Harvey Curtis, two sisters, Polly Norrell (Len), and Barbara Woodyear (Carl); three nephews, Gordon Norrell, all of North Little Rock, John Norrell, of Little Rock and Mark Woodyear, of Wheeling, West Virginia; and two nieces, Marianne Smith, of Bentonville and Victoria Harvey, of Nantucket, Massachusetts. Memorials may be made to Park Hill Baptist Church, 201 East C Street, North Little Rock, Arkansas 72116. Funeral services will be held 2:00 p.m., Friday in the North Little Rock Funeral Home Chapel, 1921 Main St., 758-1170. Burial will be in Pinecrest Memorial Park. Online obituary and guest registry at www.nlrfh.com.

Thomas Curtis

July 12, 1917 - July 12, 2011