Kelly Amos Curtis

Kelly Amos Curtis passed away on Thursday, February 3, 2022, at his home in Ridgecrest,
California with his beloved wife and children by his side. He was 51.
Kelly was born April 3, 1970, in Virginia Beach, Virginia, to Cecil Curtis and Brenda Wilson.
The third of four sons in a Navy family, Kelly moved frequently and lived in a number of places.
At five months, the family moved to Rota, Spain, where they lived for four years. Returning
stateside, the Curtis family lived in several East Coast communities including Pax River,
Maryland; Brunswick, Maine; and Virginia Beach, Virginia. Kelly graduated from First Colonial
High School in Virginia Beach in 1988.
Kelly moved to Ridgecrest in 1993 with his mother and stepfather. Like most young people who
find themselves living in Ridgecrest, Kelly planned to stay "only for a year or two" while he
figured out what to do after college. He began working at AltaOne Federal Credit Union in 1994.
While there, Kelly interviewed Jennifer Galvin (Curtis) for an open position at AltaOne and, as
Jennifer describes it, "I had him at hello"—both for the job and eventually a beautiful life
together. Despite a "non-fraternization" policy, they planned a secret first date at Kelly's favorite
spot in Newport Beach, Mutt Lynch's bar, although this forbidden first date was foiled when
they ran into a group of close Ridgecrest friends at the bar—a favorite family story. Undeterred
by this start, Jen and Kelly blended their lives together, and the two were married on May 18,
2002, in Las Vegas, Nevada. This year marks their 20th as a married couple and 25th together,
always as a loving devoted couple.
Kelly retired from AltaOne FCU in 2019 from his role as Vice President to start his second
career working for NDTI and the federal government supporting the warfighter mission at China
Lake.
Kelly was a talented, fiercely competitive athlete and an enthusiastic sports fan. His sport of
choice to play was football, starting in middle school and culminating at Randolph Macon
College in Ashland, Virginia (1988-1993), where Kelly was also a proud Kappa Sigma. Both of
these activities earned him many lifelong friends. As an East Coast transplant, Kelly stayed true
to his roots and was an enthusiastic lifelong fan of the Red Sox, Celtics, and Patriots. The Curtis
family often attended Red Sox games with all five family members decked out in Red Sox gear,
unapologetically sitting among a sea of Angels fans. Kelly also enjoyed playing (more
accurately, beating) his friends and family at cornhole. The Curtises were members of a CrossFit
family for six years where they met many great people who remain close. Kelly also loved
camping, travelling, and hiking. Kelly was an utterly dedicated husband, father, and friend. He
spent much of his time in the service of others, helping with a DIY project, assisting with a
move, or celebrating a life event.
While Kelly enjoyed being personally active, his greatest passion by far was cheering on his
children. He started as a devoted "cheer dad" to Allison and then transitioned into following
Emily and Kyle as they excelled in various sports. As such, Kelly and Jennifer became the

ultimate traveling parents to watch Emily play softball and Kyle play baseball. There was always
a Curtis vehicle packed with all the essentials required to spend an entire day or weekend at the
ballfield. Beyond his own children, Kelly was a mentor, support, and fan for the friends of his
children and for the children of his friends. Kelly's life and legacy is largely one of living in
support of and impacting others. Many were fortunate to have Kelly on their sideline.
Kelly is survived by his wife Jennifer, daughter Allison Rogers (married to Steve Harasti),
daughter Emily, son Kyle, mother Brenda Wilson, and father Cecil Curtis (Diane); brothers
Dwayne, Jack (Audrey), and Glenn (Sarah); Mother and Father-in-Law Rosemary and Larry Galvin;
Sister-in-Law Julie Coles (Jerry); as well as many aunts, uncles and cousins who reside on the
East Coast. Kelly is also survived by countless friends, family, and even relative strangers who
have communicated being profoundly impacted by his acceptance, guidance, quiet integrity, and
loving support.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, February 26, 2022, at 11 AM at the St. Ann's
Parish Hall. Guests are asked to wear their favorite Hawaiian shirt. The family requests that in
lieu of flowers, contributions in Kelly's honor can be made to Emily and Kyle's college account.
Checks can be made payable to and sent:
LoneStar 529 Plan
FBO Emily T Curtis, Acct ending #661
PO Box 540010
Omaha, NE 68154
Submitted by the family of Kelly Curtis