Mavis Lillian (Scarfe) Curtis, 95, formerly of Winchester, Massachusetts, passed away peacefully on Saturday, November 27, 2021, surrounded by her family. Mavis was born on December 07, 1925, to Douglas and Beatrice Scarfe in Harrow, England (west of London).
Mavis traveled to Winchester Massachusetts in 1949 intending only to visit with relatives Gerald and Doris Hills. Soon after her arrival she was offered a position at the Commercial Union Insurance Company in Boston. Finding a career and new friends here in Massachusetts Mavis settled, eventually making Winchester her home. Mavis maintained strong ties to family members back in England through weekly letters to her twin sister, Jean, phone calls and many cross Atlantic visits.
Mavis met her husband Dr. Leslie McIntire Curtis at a wedding reception at the Congregational Church in Winchester and they married in 1952. In 1958 Leslie opened his own dental practice in Winchester and Mavis joined the team as his office manager.
For over forty years, she managed the practice for Leslie, organizing appointments and calendars, maintaining accounts, and keeping the reception area lively.
Mavis and Leslie were outdoor enthusiasts and met many of their friends through their sailing, skiing, and tennis activities. They enjoyed many sailing adventures around Boothbay Harbor, along the Maine coast, and skiing weekends at Sunday River in Bethel, Maine. Mavis met many of her Winchester friends through tennis and the dental office.
Mavis loved to read and was especially interested in historical biographies. She enjoyed people, entertaining and learning about their lives. She easily engaged in conversation with a genuine interest in learning. She tended to her English garden and loved flowers, her favorite yellow roses.
Mavis is survived by her three children Sarah J. Curtis of Winchester, John H. Curtis and his partner Karen of Beverly, and Kenneth M. Curtis and his wife Ikuko of Kailua, Hawaii and three grandchildren Brian, Christopher and Roderic, her niece Claire Bowes and nephew Paul Bowes of England. Mavis was predeceased by her husband Leslie, her sister Jean Bowes and brother-in-law Ron Bowes. A Memorial Service will be held at the Church of the Epiphany, 70 Church St. Winchester, MA 01890 on Thursday December 16th at 10:00am. Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to the Church of the Epiphany or to a charity of your choice.