Curtis Linwood Gifford Obituary (1934 - 2014)

AUGUSTA, MAINE--On the evening of Saturday, July 12, 2014, Curtis Linwood Gifford passed away peacefully of natural causes. He was being visited and comforted by a close friend at the Maine Veterans Home, Augusta, Maine at the time of his departure. Curtis was 79 years old. Curtis was born on December 23, 1934, in the quaint town of North Fairfield, Somerset County, Maine. He was the fourth of five children and second son of Natalie (Day) and Ralph Abner Gifford. Curtis was preceded in death by his adoring parents, Ralph and Natalie; his brothers, Kendall Gifford, and Ralph Gifford; and his sister, Carolyn (Gifford) Zimmer; as well as numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins. Curtis never married, but is survived by his loving sister, Barbara (Gifford) Boynton; as well as an abundance of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends, all of who will miss his stories and ready smile. Curtis received his B.A in English from Atlantic Union College, Lancaster, MA in 1958. He attained his Masters in Library Science from Simmons College in Boston, MA in 1967. Curtis joined the armed forces on August 12, 1958, and was stationed at Fort Belvoir, VA where he received some military intelligence training and received a Medal of Good Conduct. He was honorably discharged on August 11, 1960. At an early age Curtis started overcoming life’s difficulties when the sleigh his father was driving home from the hospital, with his mother and three siblings became stuck in a snow drift and overturned, spilling its occupants into the chilling snow. Because his father died soon after, the children went to work as young adolescents. Curtis always said the hardships he overcame in the initial years of his life caused “no harm” and only made him a more determined adult and enabled him to realize numerous achievements. After a two year period in the Army, Curtis worked at MIT in Boston, MA with various Library Science projects and edited manuscripts. He then moved to Colorado where he was an assistant professor and a department head at Colorado State University for 17 years before he retired. His responsibilities included university and civic activities that involved the arts, literature, and sciences. He created and coordinated exhibits and art shows, including an educational display entitled, “85 Years of the 20th Century; A Partial Exhibit of the Effects of Living Accumulated by a Maine Stalwart” at the Riverview Memorial Gymnasium, Norridgewock, ME. Additionally, he was an advisor for the CSU crew team. In 1980 he went on sabbatical to Cambridge England as a visiting scholar and held the title of honorary librarian at the Cambridge University Library. Curtis was also active in public life. He organized and donated the Day-Gifford family papers for display at Colby College, ME and the University of Maine. He served on the boards of the Wilderness Research Foundation and International Wilderness Leadership Foundation and chaired the Board of Appeals and the Comprehensive Plan Committee of the Town of Mercer. Curtis loved to travel and went abroad as often as he could. In addition to several trips to his beloved England, including twice for teaching assignments, and Monaco, he was able to tour Haiti and much of Europe where he added to his treasure trove of friends. Probably most important, were the stories he would tell his siblings, nieces, nephews, and friends about family past, often bringing the listeners to knee-slapping laughter or quiet tears. His energetic way of bringing history to life will be greatly missed. A brief service and interment will be held at Friends Cemetery, Middle Road, Fairfield, Maine at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, August 10. A celebration of the life and times of Curtis, with a chance for all to share memories, will take place at the Zimmer Farm, 209 Valley Road, Mercer Maine, starting at noon. This will be followed by the Gifford Family Reunion, an annual event Curtis always looked forward to, and a pot-luck repast; Curtis would have felt right at home. The family extends their heartfelt thanks to the staff of the Maine Veterans’ Home. Donations may be made to the Maine Veterans’ Home, 310 Cony Rd., Augusta, ME 04330.