James Stephen Curtin, 85, passed peacefully May 10, 2023, at his home in Hinsdale, surrounded by his family.
Jim was born in 1937 to Paul and Mary Curtin, and was raised in Wexford, Penn. He was an only child. After graduating from Duquesne University, he joined the Navy in 1959. He attended Officer Candidate School and was commissioned to the Topeka CLG-8 where he served until 1962. He earned a master’s degree from The Wharton School of Business and went to work for Heinz.
In 1967, Jim entered Duquesne Law School, where he met Kay Kelly, a fellow law student. They took the bar exam in July 1970 and were married the following weekend. In 1974, he earned his LLM from Harvard Law School and joined the faculty of Loyola Law School.
When relocating from Cambridge to Chicago, Jim took the advice of his then-2-year-old son to “buy a blue house.” He bought a blue house in Hinsdale and lived in that location for the next 50 years. From that house he walked to the train and to St. Isaac Jogues, where he served as an usher; he canvassed the neighborhood, registering new voters as a Republican precinct committeeman; and he rode his bike to Robbins Park, where he coached AYSO soccer. For Jim, Hinsdale revolved around that blue house and his love of Kay and the children they raised there.
At Loyola, Jim hosted the legendary “Jim Curtin Office Party” and welcomed students who became notable legal professionals, politicians and friends. He retired in 1997.
Jim will be remembered for his two great loves, family and teaching at Loyola.
He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Audrey Kathleen Kelly Curtin; his children, Cathleen (David) Andes, Timothy J. Curtin, Kelly Curtin (Tiger) Craft and Sarah (Preston) Tims; and his grandchildren, Kaitlyn, Emily and Meredith Andes, Robert, Coco and James Craft, Walter, Owen, Clayton, Dean and Alex Tims.
Visitation is from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, May 14, at Sullivan Funeral Home, 60 S. Grant St., Hinsdale.
A funeral Mass will take place at 10 a.m. Monday, May 15, at St. Isaac Jogues Church, 306 W. Fourth St., Hinsdale.
Interment will be at Holy Name of Mary Cemetery in Montrose, Penn.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made online to The Parkinson Research Foundation at http://www.parkinsonhope.org. A full obituary is available at http://www.sullivanfuneralhomehinsdale.com.
Sullivan Funeral Home in Hinsdale handled the arrangements.
