Royce Eldon Curtis

Royce Eldon Curtis of Houston, Texas passed away on November 12, 2019 at his home. Royce was born in Throckmorton, Texas on January 15, 1925 to Senith Lillian Curtis and Jack Spurgeon Curtis. He grew up on a farm and was the oldest of 3 sisters and 1 brother. He and his brother helped with the farming, feeding, and milking before and after school. When Royce was eleven, they moved to the big city…Decatur, TX…where he graduated from high school in 1942.

In the Fall of 1942, he enrolled at North Texas State College in Denton to study music, but he was not there long. With WWII in progress, he joined the Navy in January of 1943. After boot camp in San Diego, he took radio and radar training in Memphis and deployed to Navy blimp bases in New Jersey and Oregon and then to Hawaii. He spent 18 months as an assistant Navy Chaplin at Kaneohe Naval Air Station in Oahu until, with the war over, he was honorably discharged as a radio airman 1st class in April 1946. As you might imagine, Royce had some great stories about leave in Manhattan and Honolulu.

After the war, Royce enrolled at East Texas Baptist College in Marshall, TX to study church music, majoring in voice. During his 4 years in college, he directed music on weekends in Southern Baptist churches in Louisiana and East Texas. After college, Royce embarked on a 20+ year career with Southern Baptist churches, serving in music, youth and education ministries in Texas, New Mexico and Louisiana. During this time, he had three children…in order of appearance…Bill, Nancy and Kathy. He later moved to Fort Worth, TX where he met and married the love of his life, Marie who had three children of her own…Dennis, John and Tonya. Royce and Marie were married for 49 years and 9 months.

Royce continued his ministry in Fort Worth by working at a flight school as a counselor, helping young foreign flight students adjust to life in the USA. In his words, “Being much like a father to them, it was a ministry designed and directed by God.”. In over 10 years there, Royce ministered to over 1500 students and 400 flight instructors. Also during this time in Fort Worth, he worked at a drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility as its Education coordinator, helping residents prepare for their GED high school equivalency exams and providing spiritual ministry.

In 2009, Royce and Marie moved to Katy and quickly became involved in Kingsland Baptist church where they made many new friends. Royce continued to minister to students and others in a variety of ways.

Royce dearly loved his wife and family. He also loved football (Go Cowboys!), dessert (Blue Bell Ice Cream), and music (hymns). His favorite day was Sunday where he could combine all of those, plus church.

Royce is survived by his faithful wife of 49 years, Marie; sister Jovalene Pemberton of Colorado Springs, CO; sister Patsy Huerta of Clovis, NM; sister Dorotha McDade of Burleson, TX; daughter Nancy Adams of Spring, TX; daughter, Tonya and David Wright of Houston and stepson Dennis Swanson of Idaho. He was lovingly known as Pawpaw or Granddaddy to 9 grandchildren, 2 great grandchildren and honorary granddaddy to many others. He was preceded in death by his mother and father, his brother Don Curtis, his son Bill Curtis, his daughter Kathy Statler and his stepson John Swanson.

The family would like to thank Autumn Leaves Memorial City and the VA hospice team for the wonderful care of our dear husband and father. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Kingsland Baptist Church missions ministry, in Royce Curtis’ name.