William "Bill" Curnutt

William “Bill” S. Curnutt passed away peacefully on the morning of June 4th, 2021.

Bill was born on February 8, 1930, in Arcadia, Kansas, the son of William Howard and Ollie Minerva Jane (Morris) Curnutt.

Bill grew up in his hometown of Arcadia where he played football and basketball in school and developed his love of fishing which continued into his adult years. Many vacations were spent visiting the fishing pits around Southeastern Kansas with his sons.

At the age of 17, Bill enlisted in the Air Force where he became an Airborne Radio Operator and rose to the rank of Airman Second Class. He would go on to serve 13 years and be stationed in several bases including Greenland, Japan, and ending in Harlingen, Texas on the 3610th Navigator Training Squad.

While on leave in 1955, Bill visited his sister (Ida B) and Grandmother (Alpha Morris) in Pomona, California. This is where he met the love of his life, Lois Mathes. After constant encouragement from his Grandma Morris that he better date and marry that girl, he did. With only one day of leave left he asked her to marry him, and she said they should get to know each other through correspondence and if he still felt the same way she would marry him. They had constant correspondence for the next couple of years as well as leave visits and married on April 15th, 1957, in Las Vegas, Nevada after eloping in her father’s car. They settled into Military life in Harlingen and welcomed their first two children, their only Daughter Cindy and first Son Howie. After leaving the Air Force in 1960, Bill went into TV/Radio repair and later into the printing business in Kansas City. They felt being close to family was better for the young children so they set-up home in Weir, Kansas and he would commute each week. This is where the last two children were born Dwight and David.

During his years in the printing business, Bill developed a love for bowling and competed on many leagues while in Kansas and later in Odessa. Bill returned to bowling after retiring from the US Postal Service where he worked many years. After losing his beloved Wife in 2007, the bowling alley became his second home and he helped form the senior bowling league at Diamond Lanes in Odessa.

Bill is proceeded in death by his parents, William Howard and Ollie (Morris) Curnutt, his Wife, Lois (Mathes) Curnutt, his brother James Curnutt, and sisters Ida B. Fisher and Louise Bernard.

He is survived by his brother Darrell Curnutt and wife Karen, sister Mae Berting, his children, Cindy Magee and husband Don, Howie Curnutt and wife Belynda, Dwight Curnutt and wife Cindy, and David Curnutt as well as 6 Grandchildren, 15 Great Grandchildren, and 7 Great-Great Grandchildren.

Visitation will be held Monday June 7th from 6pm to 8pm at Sunset Memorial Gardens and Funeral Home, 6801 E. Business 20 in Odessa, TX. Graveside services will take place on Tuesday June 8th at 2pm also at Sunset Memorial.