Staff Sgt. Kurt Robert Curtiss,

born Oct. 14, 1981 in Phoenix, Ariz., died Aug. 26, 2009, from
wounds he suffered while serving his third tour of duty in
Afghanistan. The first viewing will be from 6-8 p.m. Tuesday at
Russon Brothers Mortuary, 255 S. 200 East, Salt Lake City, Utah,
and again from 10:30-11:30 a.m., with a funeral at noon Wednesday
at Utah Veterans Memorial Park, 17111 Camp Williams Road,
Riverton-Bluffdale, Utah. Interment will be shortly after the
funeral. He married Elizabeth Ann Black on June 14, 2000 in Salt
Lake City, Utah, and enlisted in the Army as an infantryman in
September 2001. He served two tours in Iraq; first tour,
2003-2004 with the 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment
"Rakkasans," 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.; second
tour in Iraq 2006-2007; and third tour, he deployed March 2009 to
Afghanistan; both served with the 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute
Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry
Division, Fort Richardson. Staff Sgt. Curtiss had many interests
including martial arts, dirt biking, 4-wheeling, jamming on his
guitar and spending time with his family. He was a loving father,
husband, son, brother and friend. He was a caring person who
always placed others before himself. He will always be remembered
for his love, devotion, compassion and humor. He is loved by many
and will always be his family's Number One hero. Staff Sgt.
Curtiss is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Ann Curtiss, his
children, Joshua and Cecilia; mother, Ruth Serrano; father,
Robert (Kim) Curtiss; sisters, Lynn (David) Burr-Curtiss, Leha
Harkins, Jenna Curtiss and Caroline Curtiss; grandmother, Carol
Curtiss; great-aunt, Ruth Robinson; nieces and nephews, Cody,
Ariah, Justin, and Kiara; in-laws, Kenneth A. and Judith P.
Black; sister-in-law, Jacqueline Black; and his good friend whom
he considered as a brother, Daniel Longoria. Online guestbooks
are available at www.adn.com/obituaries and at
www.russonmortuary.com. A fund has been set up for Staff Sgt.
Curtiss' children with Police and Fire Federal Credit Union, 900
Market St., Room 101, Philadelphia, PA; (215-922-5474). In lieu
of flowers donations may be made with the Fisher House Foundation
Inc., www.fisherhouse.org.

Published in adn.com from September 7 to September 8, 2009