John William Curtis Jr

Obituary for John William Curtis, Jr. John William Curtis, Jr., age 70, of Las Vegas, NV, passed away on Monday, October 24, 2022, at the Nathan Adelson Hospice-Tenaya Center after a long battle with cancer. He was born on December 22, 1951, in Fort Bragg, NC, the eldest son of John W. Curtis, Sr. (called Bill or JW) and Martinella F. (Endres) Curtis. John graduated in 1971 from LaFollette High School in Madison, WI. During his high school years he enjoyed playing football, hunting, and roaming the woods in his dune buggy near his parents' cabin in Lone Rock, WI. After graduation, John joined the US Army (SP4) and spent four years in West Germany in Army Security. He returned to Madison after discharge and followed his parents to Las Vegas where he worked for Lockheed as an Environmental Engineer. After meeting Cheryl Burmeister in Wisconsin, he persuaded her to move to Vegas. The two spent the next 35 years together. Cheryl was his true love, and the two were wonderful hosts to many visiting family and friends. John had a vision for his backyard. With a lot of hard work, he turned it into a beautiful oasis everyone enjoyed. He loved his Nascar racing, especially Jeff Gordon, and Vegas gave John the gambling bug. He is survived by his love, Cheryl Burmeister, her children Melissa and Brett Burmeister; brother Jim (Terri) Curtis; sister Judy (Bill) Freberg; brother Jerry (Doreen) Curtis; nieces Lindsay (Lucas) Conmey, Lana (Ryan) Bourque, Erica (Scott) Diehl, Elizabeth (Brian) Au-Curtis, Stephanie (Stephen) Augarten; nephews Jeremy (Katie) Curtis and James Curtis; 5 great nieces and 4 great nephews. John was preceded in death by his parents and nephews Jason and Christopher Curtis. His Celebration of Life will be Tuesday, December 20, 2022, at Affordable Cremation & Burial Service, 2127 W. Charleston Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89102. Visitation is from 11-12 noon and his service from 12-1 pm. A military burial ceremony will follow at 2 pm at Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 1900 Veterans Memorial Drive, Boulder City, NV 89005. The family would like to thank the many, many medical professionals who provided care and support for John during his illness, including Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada and Hospice. We would also like to thank special friends Robert Mora and Doug Richter. Their assistance to John and Cheryl was invaluable, and words cannot begin to express our gratitude. And a special thank you to Cheryl for learning how to provide the wonderful care she gave John at home. Memorials may be made to the Nathan Adelson Hospice-Tenaya Center in Las Vegas. John was surrounded in life by the love of his family and friends and his beloved dogs. He had a wonderful sense of humor and a never-give-up attitude. He would often say, "I'm gonna be a pain in your butt for as long as I can." John fought hard and with every fiber of his being until he absolutely couldn't. If John lived by cat lives, he outlived several cats! We will love and remember John for his competitive spirit, positive attitude, bright smile, hearty laugh, booming voice, child-like antics, and his big heart. This is not goodbye, John. This is until we see you again. Afterglow I'd like the memory of me to be a happy one. I'd like to leave an afterglow of smiles when my life is done. I'd like to leave an echo whispering softly down the ways. Of happy times and laughing times and bright sunny days. I'd like the tears of those who grieve, to dry before the sun. Of happy memories that I leave when life is done.

John William Curtis Jr

December 22, 1951 - October 24, 2022