Obituary of Edward B. Curtis

Edward B. Curtis, age 82, of Royersford, PA passed away peacefully at his residence on Friday, June 2, 2023. 

He was born in Herkimer, NY, on September 19, 1940, the youngest son of the late Ralph and the late Ann (Champlin) Curtis. In 1950, his family moved from New Britain to Newington, CT, and Ed graduated in 1958 from Newington High School, where he sang in the high school chorus. 

In 1962, he graduated from Lafayette College as a member of the Kappa Delta Rho Fraternity. He remained devoted to the KDR Fraternity, serving in various positions on the boards of both the Alumni Corporation and the National Foundation until his death. He was recognized and awarded by Lafayette College Alumni for his distinguished service to Kappa Delta Rho. 

For a time, Ed lived in Spokane, WA, with his first wife Nancy and their two daughters, Shelley and Sarah, before returning to Pennsylvania.

He was a School Bus Driver for STA in the Perkiomen Valley School District for over 25 years, as well as Valley Forge Military Academy & College. His first bus driver job was with the Boyertown YMCA, where he was affectionately given the nickname “Mr. Ed” by the children. Ed often made great friends with the children he transported and continued to be known as Mr. Ed.

He honorably served in the U.S. Army and the U.S. Coast Guard, where he developed a zealous (and well-known) distaste for chicken. He was a long-time busing volunteer for the Special Olympics and the Susan B. Komen Race for the Cure in Philadelphia. 

Ed took delight in driving roads untraveled with his wife, Joyce, as well as spending countless hours assembling jigsaw puzzles. His lifelong love of music included participation in an alumni choir at Lafayette College and listening to a constant stream of rotating albums ranging from Bob Dylan to Miles Davis. Always ready with a joke, sarcastic remark, or a laugh, he found unlimited joy in humor. He was also a tremendous connoisseur of ice cream - one of the best days of his life was getting ice cream four separate times in one day while visiting family in Seattle.

He is survived by his loving wife, Joyce (Gerhold) Curtis of Royersford, PA, and his first wife Nancy (Eby) Curtis of Seattle, WA; four daughters, Shelley (Gary) Curtis, Sarah (Jason) McGinnis, Jessica Curtis, and Jody (Jon) Zalocha; two brothers, Ronald (Barbara) Curtis, and Jared (late Ida) Curtis; two grandsons, Koen and Kyler Geiss; and many nieces and nephews. To the shock of all, he grudgingly accepted and was admittedly fond of grand-cat “Puds.”

Ed was predeceased by his parents, Ralph and Ann Curtis; sisters-in-law Ida and Frances; and nephew Dr. J. Randall Curtis. 

His Memorial Service will be private.  

Memorial contributions may be made in Ed’s name to the J. Randall Curtis Memorial Fund for Compassion and Humanism in Medicine https://research.thoracic.org/giving/current-campaigns.php or to the ALS Evergreen chapter of Seattle, Washington.

Arrangements by Moore, Snear & Ruggiero Funeral Home, 224 West Main Street, Trappe, PA, (610) 489-7900.
www.msrfh.com