Max L. Curtis

Max L. Curtis, 87, died July 13, 2011, at Scottish Rite Park in Des Moines of congestive heart failure. A memorial service will be held at Westminster Presbyterian Church, Des Moines, at 10:00 a.m., Monday, July 18, 2011.

Max was born November 20, 1923, to William Stanley and Mary Osa Warren Curtis, in rural Wapello County, Iowa. He graduated from Batavia High School in 1941. He served in North Africa and Italy as a member of the 751st Tank Battalion and later earned an associate degree from Iowa State University. Max was employed as an estimating engineer for the Weitz Company and Neumann Brothers, Inc. On June 11, 1950, he married Mary Elizabeth Dahlke in the First Baptist Church in downtown Des Moines. To this union three children were born: Linda, Jim, and Dave.

Max was an accomplished woodworker. He built furniture and musical instruments and carved realistic portrayals of animals as well as caricatures of people. He won numerous ribbons at the Iowa State Fair and other shows for his carvings and loved talking to visitors in the Cultural Center while carving during the fair or at the Iowa Machine Shed in Urbandale.

He also volunteered as a blacksmith at Living History Farms. Max served as a scoutmaster for the Boy Scouts, on the board of directors for Calvin Manor and was a member of Westminster Presbyterian Church, Mr. and Mrs. Club and Kiwanis Club.

Max and Mary loved to travel, whether on camping trips throughout the United States, a week in Mexico, a winter in Texas or Florida, or to foreign countries through Friendship Force. They visited or hosted people from more than a dozen countries with Friendship Force, and established relationships that continued long after the exchanges ended.

Max was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Mary in 2006; his five brothers, Donald J., Warren Stanley, Carol Bruce, John Robert, and Ralph Eugene; three sisters, Anna Louise Parrett, Helen Osa Surber, and Mary Grace Gibb. He is survived by his children, Linda (Dave Stolper), Curtis-Stolper of Newton, IA, Jim (Cheryl Kaplan) Curtis of Coatesville, PA, Dave (Dawn) Curtis of Blair, NE. Also surviving is a brother, Raymond (Jeanette) Curtis; and sister-in-law, Phyllis Curtis Borden. He delighted in his grandchildren, Sean Curtis Stolper and Amy Xu Ruimiao Curtis. He also is survived by many nieces, nephews, and treasured friends.

Memorials may be directed to Scottish Rite Park Good Life Fund.

Online condolences may be directed to:
www.hamiltonsfuneralhome.com

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