Irvin F Curtis

Irvin Fred Curtis (Curt) was born in Linnich, Germany on December 25, 1935.  He was the second child of Dr Edwin Curtis and Freda Wessel Curtis, after his sister Inga.  The family immigrated to the US in 1950, settling in Yankton, South Dakota.  In his mid-teens the family moved to West Virginia where Curt graduated from high school and attended one year at West Virginia University, and then moved to South Carolina where he graduated with an AB degree from the University of South Carolina in 1959.  Curt enlisted in the South Carolina National Guard and served three years of active duty, earning honors as a marksman and rising to the rank of Lieutenant.
Curt moved to Boston in 1961 to attend the Massachusetts College of Optometry.  After completing a year he decided this was not the career he wanted to pursue.  He was a man of many interests and skills, and worked in several jobs until starting his 15 year career at MIT.   He rose in the ranks at MIT to become a financial officer in the Mechanical Engineering Department, overseeing grants and budgets.  At the same time he followed his entrepreneurial spirit, working part-time as a Registered Real Estate Broker, Registered Insurance Broker, and Certified Tax Preparer.  In 1979 Curt enrolled in Suffolk University School of Management to obtain a Masters in Business Administration.  After being inducted into Suffolk’s National Honor Society for high scholastic achievement, he was awarded his MBA in 1981.  He decided to leave MIT at that point and strike out on his own.  He then began the final phase of his long professional career, working as a Financial Planner and Tax Preparer.  He developed a portfolio of hundreds of clients in the Greater Boston area until his retirement in 2022.  His professional affiliations included the National Association of Tax Preparers, the National Association of Enrolled Agents, and the International Association for Financial Planning.
Over the years Curt pursued many interests and hobbies, including stock car racing, deep sea fishing, scuba diving, and competitive Bridge.  He was a voracious reader with a wide range of knowledge in many subjects.  In his later years he confined his interests mainly to the economy, politics, and his beloved Patriots.
Curt leaves his cherished life partner of many years, Evangeline (Van) Spanos of Jamaica Plain, his dear sister Inga Dringman of Rapid City SD, his beloved nephew Kalen Dringman and wife Teresa also of Rapid City, and their children Yvette, Derrick, Sarah, and Kurt.  He will also be missed by his partner’s family members: Evanthea Spanos of South Portland ME, Paula (Spanos) Grassmann and her husband Jeff Grassman and son Jakey of Falmouth ME, and Rob Spanos and his wife Rebecca and son Nick, of Milton GA, as well as many cherished friends.

Remembrances may be made in his memory to The USO or the Wounded Warrior Project.

Visiting hour on Saturday, August 9, in the Forsyth Chapel at Forest Hills Cemetery, 95 Forest Hills Ave, Jamaica Plain from 10:00 to 11:00 am. A graveside service with Military Honors will take place at 11:00 am. Relatives and friends are invited to attend.