Curtis Gene Tucker

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Curtis Gene Tucker passed away June 25, 2025. He was born September 8, 1947, in St. Paul, Minnesota, the eldest son of Robert Gene and Margie Littlefield Tucker. His family lived in Deerfield, Illinois throughout his childhood.

As a youth Curtis joined the Boy Scouts of America, and became an active, lifelong participant in that organization. He spent summers of his youth at Camp MaKaJaWan, earning merit badges and the Order of the Arrow. A camping trip set Curtis on his life’s path—he fell in love with the West, and determined to pursue a career working to preserve the outdoors. He graduated from Utah State University with a degree in forestry. It was also at USU he met the other love of his life, Kathy Jo Christeson, and the two married on June 30, 1970. Curtis was baptized as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1971, and his faith was the cornerstone of his entire life.

Curtis took a job with the Bureau of Land Management and he and Kathy moved to Vernal, Utah. The forester and the theater major acquired a mortgage and three children while there, which were the only things they had in common. Curtis’s career path up through the ranks in the BLM moved the family to exotic locations such as Panaca, NV, and, after the children had graduated, Ely, NV. Everywhere he lived he continued to be an avid Boy Scout leader, eventually being awarded the Silver Beaver for exceptional service to youth.

While not inclined to take to the stage himself—he had a t-shirt that read “I don’t have a costume, I have my dignity”–Curtis spent countless hours supporting Kathy by babysitting when the children were younger, and cooking and bringing her dinner to the theater.

Curtis had a keen interest in genealogy and spent countless hours tracing family lineage and connecting with distant relatives to exchange information and pictures.

His quiet demeanor hid a sly wit; if you caught him in the right mood, he was an accomplished raconteur who could deliver a punch line with deadly accuracy. He authored a memoir about time spent on his grandfather’s farm, and time and again his humor shines through—as well as his love for his family.

Curtis is survived by his beloved wife, Kathy Jo; his children: Paul, Whitney, and Delanie; grandchildren: Jaden, Ethan, and Kylie; and his sister, Monica. He is reunited with his parents Robert and Margie; his brother Todd, and grandson Connor.

Family and friends are invited to honor Curtis’s life on Saturday, July 5, 2025 at 12:00 PM in the Cedar Valley Funeral and Cremation. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Michael J. Fox Parkinson’s Foundation.