Born April 16, 1935, in New Haven CT, Ida passed away January 21, 2020, in Seattle WA. Ida grew up in Newington CT, contracted polio in 1953 and was cared for in a hospital in her hometown for almost two years until she regained the use of her upper body muscles and was able to use a wheelchair. She promptly married the love of her life Jared Ralph Curtis in 1956. They had two children Jared Randall Curtis (Randy) in 1960 and Idamay Curtis in 1961. In 1971 Ida and her family moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, where Jared taught English Literature and Ida was a student advisor and administrator in the Department of Geography at Simon Fraser University. After retirement from SFU, Ida began to write novels and travelogues. Ida and Jared left Canada in 2002 for Seattle to be near son Randy, his partner Amy, and their granddaughter Alice. When daughter Idamay moved from Calgary the following year the family was together again. Ida continued to pursue her writing, published her memoir “My Polio Memoir: 1953-2016” in 2016 and won an award from Pacific Northwest Writers’ Association in 2014. Ida’s historical romance “Song of Isabel” was published in 2018, and the sequel “The Nun’s Betrothal” will be released in July 2020. Ida and Jared moved to Mirabella Seattle in 2009, where Ida was an active member of the book club, the knitting club, and, of course, the writing workshop. In her last two years she lived in the skilled nursing section of the Health Services department of Mirabella, where she won the hearts of staff members with her humor, kindness, tenacity, and beautiful smile. Ida will be remembered for the unflappable optimism and adaptability that fueled her remarkable ability to overcome adversity. A Celebration of Ida’s life is planned and will be announced online here on this website.
A celebration of life will be held on:
March 15, 2020
2-3:30 pm
West Dining Room
Mirabella Seattle
116 Fairview Avenue N
Seattle, WA 98109
In lieu of flowers, if you feel so inclined, you may send a gift in Ida’s name to Mirabella Seattle Foundation, a nonprofit charity that aids Mirabella residents and staff who need financial assistance, supports Mirabella Seattle Health Center projects that aid and comfort residents under its care, and assists charities and programs that serve our neighbors in the wider community: send to The Mirabella Seattle Foundation, 116 Fairview Avenue N, Seattle, WA 98109.