By the family

Feb. 7, 2024: Charlie Curtis died peacefully on Sunday January 28^th. He was 83.

Born and raised in Oneonta, NY and a longtime Bronxville resident, Charlie loved his home state (with extra-state exceptions for the Cleveland Browns and Boston Celtics) and particularly cherished Bronxville, whose virtues he extolled to anyone he met.  He took pleasure in his daily walks into town to do errands, grab a bagel, and chat with other locals and merchants; he always felt so lucky to have landed here.

Charlie was most often seen about Bronxville with either a racket or paddle in his hands: he spent countless hours on the Village’s public tennis and platform tennis courts where he competed, taught, and performed housekeeping tasks, all with sense of a joy and customary sly humor. Most satisfyingly, the courts were where he forged his deepest friendships and welcomed an ever-expanding network of players. He knew his way around Westchester County’s various courts and parks, and he would gladly travel out of state for the thrill of participating in a tournament and earning an USTA or APTA ranking.

An outdoors enthusiast who delighted in nature’s beauty, Charlie was the unofficial custodian of Sagamore Road’s “Rockpile” park, where he artfully laid out trails for walking dogs, including his own Jack Russells, raked mountains of leaves, and tidied up for the benefit of the neighborhood.

He taught high school English for many years in the New York City public school system and sometimes coached its tennis teams at courts in the Bronx. Charlie leaves behind his beloved wife, Ellen, children, grandchildren, and many friends.