Louis Newton Curtis
Obituaries
Vail Daily page A8 - February 19, 2010
Louis Newton Curtis, 1919-2010, of Eagle
Louis Newton Curtis, master of the sax and a Marine through and through, passed away on Feb. 10, at his home in Eagle, in the company of his family.
Lou was just shy of his 91st birthday. He was born Feb. 22, 1919 in Seattle, Wash., to Louis Newton Curtis and Gladys Claire Ward. His former wife, Marion Curtis Tuttle, and their children, John, William, David, and Mona, survive him.
Lou was born into a family of musicians. Both of his parents played music, so it seems fitting that he took on a life of music. Lou joined the Marine Corps in 1938 as a bandsman, playing the saxophone and clarinet. Lou had the pleasure of serving in the Embassy Guard Band in Peiping, China, from May 1940 until November 1941.
Lou had a funny story of himself and other Marines exchanging glances with German and Japanese officers prior to the outbreak of the war at the embassy. He said they wore an “intimidating glare.”
After his time in China, Lou was stationed in the Philippines, which was captured by the Japanese in April 1942. Lou survived many hardships as a Japanese POW during the extent of the war, including the infamous “Bataan Death March.” In total, Lou survived 42 months as a POW until his rescue at Sondhi, Japan in the fall of 1945.
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Lou retired from the Marine Corps in 1968 at Camp LeJeune, N.C., as an assistant bandmaster, attaining the rank of master sergeant. A joke he used to tell was that his fellow soldiers would say “If only Lou had his sax, he could play it so bad as to make Japan surrender on the spot.”
Lou retired to Florida to relax under the sun, play golf, and enjoy life with his partner of 30 years, Martha Starling. Lou would often play his sax for parties and weddings, and was part of a jazz ensemble out of Orlando called the Blue Notes.
His later life revolved around a good game of golf, a good meal and songs for the evening. He loved food and loved to eat. Fish was one of his favorite foods, not to mention he loved fishing. He would sit by the pond in Edwards and bring home some catch.
After his time in Florida, Lou moved in with son David and his wife, Ann, and their son, Jacob. Lou’s friends here would play music with him and take him fishing. Lou loved being in Colorado and sitting in the sun in the mornings on the front porch of his home in Eagle.
The memorial service for Louis Newton Curtis will be held at Calvary Chapel from 9 a.m. to 10:45 a.m., Friday, in Edwards. The burial will follow at the Sunset View Cemetery in Eagle at noon, accompanied by Marine Corps Honor guard and the traditional gun salute.
Vail Daily page page A8 - February 19, 2010
Louis Newton Curtis, 1919-2010, of Eagle
Louis Newton Curtis, master of the sax and a Marine through and through, passed away on Feb. 10, at his home in Eagle, in the company of his family.
Lou was just shy of his 91st birthday. He was born Feb. 22, 1919 in Seattle, Wash., to Louis Newton Curtis and Gladys Claire Ward. His former wife, Marion Curtis Tuttle, and their children, John, William, David, and Mona, survive him.
Lou was born into a family of musicians. Both of his parents played music, so it seems fitting that he took on a life of music. Lou joined the Marine Corps in 1938 as a bandsman, playing the saxophone and clarinet. Lou had the pleasure of serving in the Embassy Guard Band in Peiping, China, from May 1940 until November 1941.
Lou had a funny story of himself and other Marines exchanging glances with German and Japanese officers prior to the outbreak of the war at the embassy. He said they wore an “intimidating glare.”
After his time in China, Lou was stationed in the Philippines, which was captured by the Japanese in April 1942. Lou survived many hardships as a Japanese POW during the extent of the war, including the infamous “Bataan Death March.” In total, Lou survived 42 months as a POW until his rescue at Sondhi, Japan in the fall of 1945.
VAIL DAILY VIDEO:Vail Today: Burton aims for a zero carbon footprint at the U.S. Open
Lou retired from the Marine Corps in 1968 at Camp LeJeune, N.C., as an assistant bandmaster, attaining the rank of master sergeant. A joke he used to tell was that his fellow soldiers would say “If only Lou had his sax, he could play it so bad as to make Japan surrender on the spot.”
Lou retired to Florida to relax under the sun, play golf, and enjoy life with his partner of 30 years, Martha Starling. Lou would often play his sax for parties and weddings, and was part of a jazz ensemble out of Orlando called the Blue Notes.
His later life revolved around a good game of golf, a good meal and songs for the evening. He loved food and loved to eat. Fish was one of his favorite foods, not to mention he loved fishing. He would sit by the pond in Edwards and bring home some catch.
After his time in Florida, Lou moved in with son David and his wife, Ann, and their son, Jacob. Lou’s friends here would play music with him and take him fishing. Lou loved being in Colorado and sitting in the sun in the mornings on the front porch of his home in Eagle.
The memorial service for Louis Newton Curtis will be held at Calvary Chapel from 9 a.m. to 10:45 a.m., Friday, in Edwards. The burial will follow at the Sunset View Cemetery in Eagle at noon, accompanied by Marine Corps Honor guard and the traditional gun salute.
