Obituary
Dade Louise Warfield Tull Curtis, 78, of Dunlap, passed
away at 2:36 PM on Tuesday, January 29, 2013 at Methodist Medical
Center in Peoria. Dade was born on July 9, 1934 in Honolulu, HI to
the late Col. Lloyd H. and Ellen Warfield Tull. She married Brian
Albert Curtis on April 9, 1960 in Clemson, SC. He recently passed
away on October 4, 2010.
Surviving are one son, Elliot (and his wife, Christina) Curtis of East
Peoria, two grandchildren, Brendan W. and Savanna J. Curtis of East
Peoria, a sister, Nan Tull (and her husband, Frank) Wezniak of
Boston, MA, two nephews and one niece, Douglas (his wife,Sharon,
and two children) Wezniak of Colleyville, TX, Patricia (and her
husband, Greg) Webster of Plymouth, MA and Clark ( and his wife,
Lisa, and one child) Aldrich of Madison, CT.
Dade's early life was typical of an Air Force daughter, with many
homes including Honolulu, HI, Stockton, CA, Washington, D.C., and
finally Clemson, SC, where her father Air Force Colonel Lloyd H Tull
finished his career as Commandant of Clemson University.
She attended Vassar College (BA,1955, Zoology) in Poughkeepsie,
NY on a full academic scholarship, where she was elected to Phi
Beta Kappa and was named an Honorary Vassar College Fellow in
Zoology at graduation. In addition, she won a fellowship to the
Woods Hole Marine Biological Labs in Woods Hole, MA. After Woods
Hole, she went on to receive Master's Degrees from both Wesleyan
University in CT (MS, Biology) and Illinois State University (MS,Library
Science).
Dade worked as a researcher at Cornell Medical School in New York
and then briefly attended Columbia University Medical School before
meeting and marrying the love of her life, Dr. Brian A. Curtis in the
spring of 1960. They embarked on a camping tour of Europe
together before Brian settled into a fellowship position at Cambridge
University in Cambridge, UK. She often talked about her time in
Europe and England, remembering it as one of the most exhilarating
times in her life. She and Brian were fortunate to return to England
after many years, and also enjoyed traveling together to France,
Ireland, Australia, and Hawaii.
Dade was an instructor of biology at Northeastern University and
studied library science at Simmons College in Boston as well as at
Illinois Central College. She also worked in library science at Illinois
State University. She was an avid gardener, reader and after retiring,
devoted her energy to the study of finance and investing. She was a
brilliant woman who could match anyone in debating skills, and was
a very disciplined learner who devoted much of her time to studying
and reading about current events. Dade will be remembered not
only for her quick wit, but also her philanthropy, as she gave
generously to local and national organizations.
Honoring Dade's wishes, cremation rites have been accorded and
private services will take place at a later date. Dade had requested
that she be returned to her previous home in Hingham, MA. She will
also join her husband Brian at their former vacation home in
Madison, NH.
Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Deiters
Funeral Home & Crematory in Washington.