Raymond A. Curtis

Raymond A. Curtis, 62, of Topeka, Kansas, died Friday, January 11, 2002, at his home in Topeka. He had a kidney ailment and had been on dialysis.
     He was born January 18, 1939, at Saginaw, Michigan, the son of Albert and Mildred Bunker Curtis. He grew up and graduated from high school there. He enlisted in the U.S. Army and was a paratrooper. He served in Vietnam on three different tours of duty and received the Purple Heart. Later he served at Ft. Knox and in Hawaii before retiring with 21 years of service.
     After his retirement from the service, he worked in Tucson, Arizona, as a police dispatcher for about three years. In 1980 he moved to Seneca, Kansas, where he was employed at Schendel Pest Control. In 1985 he moved to Hiawatha, Kansas, were he worked as a mail carrier for the US Post Office. He also worked for the US Postal service in Kremmling, Colorado and Dillon, Colorado. He retired after 15 years with the postal service. In April of 2000, he moved to Topeka.
     He was married to Karen Wessel Curtis on November 14, 1967, at Kansas City, Kansas. She died September 4, 1996.
     He was a member of Christ the King Church at Topeka. He did volunteer work for the Veteran's Hospital, St. Francis Hospital, the Topeka Public Library, and Catholic Charities.
     Survivors are two sons, Jon Curtis of Wamego, Kansas, a twin son, Erik Curtis of Coral Springs, Florida, and a twin daughter, Erika Turner of Wamego; two brothers, Donald Curtis of Saginaw, Michigan and Robert Curtis of Anaheim, California; two sisters, Katherine Zaraeski of Saginaw, Michigan and and Mary Shipman of Harrison, Michigan; and five grandchildren.
     The mass of Christian burial will be 10:30 A.M. Thursday at St. Bede's Church at Kelly. The burial will be in the church cemetery with full military honors. The rosary will be prayed at the Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca on Wednesday at 7 P.M.
     Memorials may be given for St. Bede's Cemetery or the National Kidney Foundation and sent in care of the family.