Obituary

Patric Drewe Curtiss was born on August 28, 1947, in Kirkland, Washington, to Ruby and Glenn Curtiss and welcomed by his two sisters, Karen and Linda.

After graduating from Lake Washington High School, Pat attended Everett Junior College where he met and fell in love with Patricia Crouch, a Seattle girl rooming with some girls from Petersburg, Alaska. Following their advice, Pat started spending his summers working at Petersburg Fisheries Inc. to earn money for college. Inspired by his older sister's work as a special education teacher, Pat went on to earn a Master's Degree from Western Washington University.

When Pat and Patty married on August 25, 1968, teaching positions were hard to come by, so he continued to work summers at PFI until Bob Thorsteinson came down to the dock to tell him he should run up to the district office immediately, a position had opened at the school. Pat interviewed in full rain gear and got the job.

Pat and Patty moved to Petersburg in the fall of 1971 and found a community that grew to feel like family. Pat felt privileged to be part of Principal Syd Wright's close knit team. It was a time filled with hunting, fishing, adventures, pranks, practical jokes, escapades and the pure joy of knowing there was always someone to play with or something to do. He loved teaching special education and coaching wrestling, leading his team to many victories.

After retiring, Pat and Patty remodeled a family cabin on San Juan Island, Washington. Nestled on the shore of Westcott Bay, it became a comfortable home reminiscent of Petersburg and they moved there permanently in September of 2001. Though they enjoyed less rain and the nearby golf course, Petersburg would always be home.

Pat died on June 23, 2024, in Seattle from cancer complications. He was preceded in death by his parents, V. Glenn and Ruby Mae Curtiss, and sister Linda Curtiss.

He is survived by his wife of fifty-five years, Patty; sister, Karen Dawson; nephew, Ian Dawson; nieces, Dominic Dawson Soto and Elizabeth Irvine Holden; great-nephews, Cooper and Liam; and his great-nieces, Isabel, Lucia and Marisol.