James William Curtis

James Curtis 84, of Fort Washington, Maryland, Transitioned on Friday, August 27, 2026.

James Curtis, Jr. (affectionately known as “Man” and “Curtis”) was born on January 28, 1943 in Marion Junction (near Salem), Alabama to the late James, Sr. and Jennie Curtis as the oldest of six children. He attended public schools in Dallas County, Alabama. Upon graduating from high school, James traveled to Washington, DC to reside with his Uncle Jimmie Curtis and to seek employment.

During the summer of 1963, James’ younger brother, Robert Curtis, introduced him to Earnestine Tolson, a resident of Virginia, but residing with a cousin in Washington, DC. They were married four years later, on July 19, 1967. From that union Chantal Curtis-Jackson and James Curtis III were born. He deeply loved and cherished his family, and they always were mentioned in his conversations. They shared 59 wonderful years of marriage and built a life filled with love and faith.

Upon arriving in Washington, DC in 1962, James was hired as an entry level U.S. Postal Clerk. Believing it would take too many years to receive a higher salary, he obtained a job with Marriott Hotel as a food expeditor and later as a chef. This led to his passion for cooking. There, he advocated for young men to receive more than minimum wage. Upon leaving Marriott in the early 70’s, James was the first black store manager at a Holly Farms Fried Chicken restaurant. Later, he was promoted to District Manager. This position allowed him to hire black store managers in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. Holly Farms was sold in 1989, and he was hired by Tyson Foods as a sales representative. This position allowed him to distribute coupons and tickets to schools, churches, charity groups, hospitals and the community in general. During this period he began cooking for Safeway’s fundraisers (Easter Seal, 24-hour relays from 500 to 1,000 participants; American Cancer Society- state and county, John Hopkins Hospital); Special Olympics, churches, schools, a court house, family reunions, graduations, volunteers at a food bank, and weddings .

Viewing 10 am until time of Service at 11am, Friday, September 18, 2026, Union Bethel AME Church, 6810 Floral Park Road Brandywine, Maryland 20613.

Interment, Heritage Memorial Cemetery, 13472 Poplar Hill Road,Waldorf, Maryland 20601.