In Memory of Rev. Dr. Arthur “Art” E. Curtis

We offer our condolences to the family and colleagues of the Rev. Dr. Arthur “Art” E. Curtis, who died on June 8, 2024, at the age of 90.

Art was born on May 11, 1934, in Oneonta, NY, to Elbert Lewis Beers Curtis and Catharine Simon Curtis. He grew up in a family that encouraged curiosity about the human and natural worlds and fostered a strong love of learning. Art received his Bachelor of Arts in History from Swarthmore College, PA in 1955. He then traveled widely, participated in cultural immersion programs in Europe and the Middle East, and spent three years teaching at the International College in Beirut, Lebanon. After Beirut, he pursued studies in modern European History, earning a Master of Arts from Cornell University, NY in 1964. He taught college-level courses afterward and worked as an assistant professor in the Social Science Department of Eastern Kentucky University (1967-1968, 1969-1972). In 1971, he earned a Ph.D. in history from the University of Oregon. From 1972 to 1979, he worked as an executive director for the Humanities Council, Lexington, KY.

In 1974, Art discovered the UU movement in Lexington, KY, and quickly became active in the lay-led church there. He took on various leadership roles, serving as board chair, search committee chair, president of the district, and president of the local ACLU chapter. His experience leading the congregation without a minister led him to consider ministry. For him, being in ministry would give him an opportunity and a base for civic involvement and community service. In pursuit of this calling, he enrolled at Meadville Lombard Theological School, IL, and graduated with his Master of Divinity in 1984.

The Rev. Dr. Curtis was ordained on March 25, 1984, by the Unitarian Universalist Church of Lexington, Lexington, KY. Following ordination, from 1984 to 1987, he served as an extension minister for the Auburn UU Fellowship and the UU Fellowship of Montgomery, both in Alabama. He then served as an interim minister at the UU Church of the Palouse, Moscow, ID (1987-1988) and the Unitarian Congregation of Saskatoon, SK, Canada (1988-1989). In 1989, the Rev. Dr. Curtis accepted a call from the Anchorage UU Fellowship, AK where he would serve until 2001. During his time, the fellowship experienced significant growth and transitioned from the historic Log Cabin Church to its current location on Turnagain Street. Upon his retirement in 2001, the Anchorage UU Fellowship honored him by conferring the title of minister emeritus.

The Rev. Dr. Curtis was a dynamic and thoughtful leader who quickly adapted to the needs of the congregation. He familiarized himself with the church and congregation and was a warm, sympathetic, and caring human being who was always available when needed. Pastoral ministry was his strongest suit. Beyond his congregation, he served the denomination as a member of the UUMA. In 1988, he shared his passion for environmental reverence by leading a workshop on “Gaia: Reverence for the Earth” at the Pacific NW District Annual Meeting.

Art had aesthetic sensitivity combined with a high level of social concern. He was also very sensitive to ethical imperatives for justice and peace in the world and placed his commitment into action. He emphasized an affirmation of life values. From 1972 to 1979, he served as vice-chair, chair, and secretary for the Central Kentucky Civil Liberties Union. He played a pivotal role in helping the National Interreligious Commission on Civil Rights organize a hearing in Montgomery on civil rights in Alabama and went on to serve as its first secretary (1986-1987). He also volunteered at the AIDS-Saskatoon (hotline) and at Crocus Coop (talking with mental health patients who used it as a social center).

In his leisure time, he found joy in outdoor activities including jogging, hiking, skiing, ice skating, swimming, and tennis, and aesthetic pursuits including ballroom dancing, singing in choral groups, playing violin, reading, and writing poetry, and immersing himself in art books. 

His wife Susan shared: “Music was his special love despite being born with an inherited hearing loss. For many years he was able to enjoy his music with the help of a hearing aid. Later, however, he realized he could no longer hear well enough to stay in pitch, so he donated his prized violin to a young violin student. Later still, at the age of 78, he had surgery that enabled him to hear certain voices with a cochlear processor, but music less well.  Fortunately, he still had the out-of-doors, the night sky, his many friendships, visits with family members, and poetry and art to sustain him. He especially loved sharing poems he had collected over the years. Favorite poems included “Fern Hill” by Dylan Thomas, “Sunday Morning” by Wallace Stevens, “Little Elegy with Books and Beasts” by Nancy Willard, and “Wolf Moon” by Mary Oliver.  He also took pleasure in studying closely the paintings of the Flemish masters.  He was truly his own Renaissance man!”  

Art is survived by his wife Susan Lyden; sister, Emily Mandelbaum; sister-in-law: Ellen Curtis; nieces, Ruth and Audrey Mandelbaum, and Erica and Brenda Curtis; nephew, Rodney Curtis; five grandnephews; two grandnieces; as well as three first cousins, Jim, Anne, and Tom Conway. He was preceded in death by his brother, Charles Curtis. 

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the charity of one’s own choosing.