Jacqueline Curtis, Ruth

Ruth Jacqueline Curtis of 1395 Danby Road, Ithaca, passed away unexpectedly at the Cayuga Medical Center on Monday, September 11, 2006 at the age of 79.

Born in Dalton, Pennsylvania, Jac (as she was called by family and friends) was the fifth of seven children born to Leroy Curtis and Florence Greggs Curtis. She had an adventurous and independent spirit. While many of her friends were getting married, she traveled, finding different jobs and staying with her siblings. She served in the US Air Force from 1952 to 1955 as a radio operator.

In 1958 Jac earned her RN degree from the Bellevue School of Nursing and married Alan Blumenthal. They moved to Smithtown, NY and raised three children. She played the guitar and recorder, sang, and painted. Jac worked as an RN at the Northport, New York, VA Medical Center and later transferred to the Perry Point VA Medical Center in Maryland. She retired in 1994.

Jac moved to Ithaca in 2002 to be near her family. When she wasn't accompanying her daughter on vacations to Canada or Bermuda, she passed the time watching the Food Network, Animal Planet, and the mysteries on PBS. She was a voracious reader (especially of mystery novels) and an expert solver of crossword puzzles.

Jac is survived by her former husband, Alan; two daughters, Amy Blumenthal of Ithaca and Lois (Mike) Batchelor of Cumming, GA; one son, Paul Blumenthal of Ithaca; one sister, Florence, and her husband, the Reverend Gilbert Mitchell of Elmira, NY; a brother-in-law, Austin Whittaker of Windsor, NY; and many nieces and nephews.

She will be remembered with love by her family and friends.

A memorial service will be held on Monday, September 18, 2006 at 2:00 pm at the Ness-Sibley Funeral Home, 23 South Street, Trumansburg with the Reverend Gilbert Mitchell officiating.

Memorial contributions in Jac's memory may be made to Friends of the Library, 509 Esty Street, Ithaca, NY 14850 or to the charity of your choice.

For additional information please contact the funeral home at 1-888-534-5446.

Page Submitted By: Joseph L. Sibley, Director