Neil C. Curtis, 75, died in The Villages, FL on February 4 after a short illness. Neil is survived by his beloved wife of 50 years, Judith (Scavone) Curtis; his daughter, Kate C. Lambert and her husband, Richard of Shrewsbury, MA; his granddaughter, Claire Lambert; numerous cousins; and many treasured friends.
He was born on December 13, 1945 in Worcester, MA. The son of Harold and Medora (Wilson) Curtis. He graduated from North High School in 1963 and earned a Bachelor’s degree from Nichols College. After college, he joined the Air Force and served his country in the Philippines during the Vietnam War. Neil was a natural-born salesman. He worked for nearly 20 years at Lowell Corporation in West Boylston, traveling the country meeting friends and selling wrenches.
When he moved to Florida, Neil started playing golf multiple days a week. All the practice paid off, as he had two holes-in-one at the age of 73. He enjoyed watching Nascar and loved participating in car shows with his Triumph TR6. He was a walking World War II encyclopedia, having read nearly every book and having watched nearly every movie on the subject. He was also the chairman of the recent reunion events for North High. Neil was always the life of the party, and was described as the “glue that held the neighborhood together.” Neil was a loving, generous and kind spirit and he will be missed by all whose lives he touched.
Family and friends will have a bench installed in the Villages in memory of Neil. There are no calling hours due to the COVID pandemic. A celebration of his life will be held at a later date.
