NORTH CONWAY----Alden Burton “Curt” Curtis, 98, of 70 Northbrook Circle, died on Sunday, November 24, 2019, peacefully at home surrounded by his loved ones.
Curt was born on May 9, 1921, in Lakeport, NH, son of the late Nelson Miles and Abigail (Dickinson) Curtis and graduated from Laconia High School in 1940.
Curt proudly served in the U.S. Army Air Force as a tail-gunner in a Boeing B-17 bomber, a Sargeant in the 305th Battle Group, in the 8th Air Force, and the U.S. Army Air Corps. He trained with a replacement detachment in Washington state, CA, and FL before being assigned to Air Bases in England, arriving there in the spring of 1943. Curt survived 24 ½ bombing missions over German-held territory, his aircraft being shot down on October 14, 1943 (often referred to as “Black Thursday”), during “Operation Pointblank”, the bombing of the Schweinfurt ball bearing factories, deep within Germany. His aircraft was one of over 200 sent on the mission, and one of the unfortunate 60 aircraft shot down during the mission. Bailing out of his burning plane, he parachuted and landed just outside of the City of Schweinfurt, and was immediately captured by the German military. Transferred to Luft Stalag 17B, in Krems, Austria, Curt spent the rest of the war there, being liberated by General George Patton’s 3rd Army in May of 1945. His children were not surprised to learn that upon his return to the U.S. in the summer of 1945, one of his first acts was to write to the company that made the parachute he used when bailing out of this aircraft, thanking them for the parachute’s reliability. The company owner wrote back, thanking him for his service to the country.
When Curt returned from WWII, he entered the banking profession as a teller at The Lakeport National Bank. In 1957, the family moved to Lancaster, NH, where he worked as head teller at The Lancaster National Bank. In 1963, he was chosen as manager of the newly formed White Mountain National Bank in North Conway, NH. After a promotion to vice president, he ultimately became the bank’s president. His children fondly remember him taking them into the bank’s vault on a Friday afternoon, and casually mentioning that the alarm system would not let them out until the following Monday, should the door close!
In his career, he strived to help both residents and businesses achieve their goals by providing necessary banking services. For this, he was admired and liked by all.
As a young man, Curt loved being a charter member of the Winnipesaukee Yacht Club and the Belknap Mountain Recreation Area. He loved the outdoors (skiing the back side of Wildcat at the age of 75), woodworking, and animals, and stayed very active throughout his life.
Curt served on a number of committees and boards; some of his favorites were as Treasurer of the Mount Washington Observatory and the North Country Council.
Curt’s honesty, humor, and frank approach to life were hallmarks of his personality, and he will be missed.
Curt is survived by his four daughters, Penelope Robinson, Prudence Fisher, Eliza Juliano, and Abigail Hewitt; two sons, Scott Curtis and Clark Curtis; eleven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. In addition to his parents, Alden was predeceased by his stepmother, Mildred Curtis.
There will be no calling hours.
A private graveside service will be held at Bayside Cemetery, Union Avenue, Laconia, NH.
Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 164 Pleasant Street, Laconia NH, is assisting the family with the arrangements. For more information and to view an online memorial, go to www.wilkinsonbeane.com.