Duane Eugene Curtis

Remembering Dr. Duane Curtis

A Tribute Honoring Our Dad

September 19, 1936 – October 22, 2026

We think our DAD was pretty great! As you read this, we hope you get to know him through our eyes. Sit back and enjoy reading about the man we love so much. We will always picture him starting each day sitting in his swivel reclining chair with a cup of steaming hot black coffee with two ice cubes to cool it off. Two ice cubes in hot coffee should give you a hint about his goofy quirks, but we wouldn’t have changed a single thing about him.

Duane Eugene Curtis was born in Loveland, Colorado, the oldest of two sons, but Worland, Wyoming, was home. He went to Worland public schools through grade 8. He did his high school years at Campion Academy in Loveland, Colorado, and graduated in 1954. For higher education, he attended Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska, and Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, Tennessee, where he completed his Doctor of Optometry in 1959. After years of practicing in Loveland, he returned to Worland in 1977 to work alongside his father and brother at Curtis Optometric Clinic, where he helped thousands of people across the Big Horn Basin with their vision. He had once thought about becoming a math teacher, and in a way he got to be one after all. He taught at the kitchen table and the home chalkboard, tutoring his kids and grandchildren, who were not nearly as excited about math equations as he was. He never got over one high school math teacher who gave him an unfair grade because of the “bell curve”, and even at 90 he would retell the story whenever we brought up math.

In 1976, our parents married and brought together a family of seven kids who loved and adored this new life. Our parents were a match made in heaven, and the two were ready to take on whatever life handed them. They shared fifty years of marriage. Their home is full of beautiful handmade things they created as a sign of their love for each other. When someone in the family was having a crisis or celebration, Mom and Dad showed up no matter how far they had to travel. Our parents made everything feel easier and Dad always brought that calmness with him.

If you knew Dad, you know he was the calmest person in any room. Not much ruffled him. He had a strong, steady presence. He accepted people for who they were and wherever they were on their journey. He had a way of making everyone comfortable. We loved the gleam in his eye and his quick chuckle, which usually came when something pleased him or when we were about to take his picture. We are going to miss that chuckle and that calm presence so much.

He could make just about anything with his hands. He knit, he painted, and above all he built. His woodshop was his happy place, and the treasures that came out of it are in homes & classrooms of family and friends all over. He even made oak cradles for the grandchildren.

He loved being outdoors, too. In college he spent summers working in the High Park Lookout Fire Tower above Meadowlark Lake, and DJ was only a few months old that first

summer. He never lost his love of the mountains. He also never lost his talent for convincing his kids that a trip to cut, split, and stack firewood was a great way to spend a day together.

Dad loved to travel. With the RV they took more than their share of road trips and managed to visit all fifty states and many national parks. They traveled overseas as well, and Kenya was one of his favorites. Still, his heart belonged to Wyoming. As he was driving his RV across America, he made it to San Francisco, California, and he MAY have decided it was a good idea to drive down the famous Lombard Street (IYKYN). He was met at the bottom of the hill by a guy who told him, “Do not do that again!” Dad missed the No Large Vehicles sign at the top.

Anyone who has sat in his living room knows that his swivel recliner and a stash of candy were never far apart. He also enjoyed a Diet Pepsi most days. It is safe to say that he loved food. Costco probably profited quite a bit due to his candy feedings and the honey mustard salad dressing that was purchased for Dad. We laughed and cried when we saw that he passed with a honey mustard dressing stain on his shirt. He was famous for his big batches of popcorn and for his hamburgers on the grill. However, he is infamous for his love of strange food combinations: popcorn and milk, grilled PBJ sandwich (with onions), and even liver with onions!!!

If Dad was sitting here helping us write this, he would not let us forget that he was a die-hard fan of the Denver Broncos and the Colorado Rockies and rarely missed a game. He stood by his teams even during the rough seasons. He was loyal and consistent with his teams and his family.

He loved taking pictures of his family, which was no small job with seven kids and, later, a growing crowd of grandchildren. We still laugh about the time we all met in Denver. He set up his film camera and took family photos for two hours, only to realize afterward that there was no film in it. He never lived that down. He became a pro at accidental selfies, which turned into getting a selfie stick from his granddaughter so he could get an improved angle. He kept life interesting!

What mattered most to him was his family. He unconditionally loved and supported his grandchildren in more ways than we can count: Drew, Dillan, Sarah, Wren, Madison, Dustin, Stetson, Vance, Hayden, Allison, Paysen, Karleigh, and Caroline, along with his great-grandchildren. Dad made everyone feel welcomed, important, and seen. Cheers to the man who made our lives so much better.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his son, Duane “DJ” Curtis Jr., in 1993; and his brother, Alden Curtis, in 2023. Survivors include his loving wife of 50 years, Bette Curtis; children: Daniel Curtis of Loveland, Colorado; LaRonda Curtis Forsey of Berrien Springs, Michigan; Kevin (Kara) Curtis of Cheyenne, Wyoming; Shelly Curtis Barnard of Worland, Wyoming; Curt (Tricia) Curtis of Charlotte, North Carolina; and Derek (Sonia) Curtis of Winter Garden, Florida; 13 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren.

Note: A private family memorial will take place in the spring.