John Charles Curtice

John C. Curtice, 79, of Mt. Pleasant and formerly of Florida passed away Tuesday, July 8, 2008 at Central Michigan Community Hospital. His funeral is 11 a.m. Friday, July 11, at the Charles R. Lux Family Funeral Home, 2300 S. Lincoln Rd., Mt. Pleasant, with his cousin, Gilbert Mosher officiating. Burial will be in Vinewood Cemetery in Edmore. The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Thursday from 3-8 p.m. and on Friday from 10 a.m. until the service begins. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association. Envelopes are available at the funeral home. John was born Feb. 3, 1929, in Fremont, the son of Russell C. and Jennie (Wabeke) Curtice. He married Doris L. Petersen on Oct. 5, 1946 in Muskegon. He served in the U.S. Navy during the end of World War II and was later drafted into the Korean Conflict. He then worked for Continental Motors for 22 years. Many of those years he was supervisor for the Aircraft Test House. In 1971 he was appointed to the Federal Aviation Administration. During his career he received numerous certifications and extensive training through the FAA. He retired in 1991 as the chief of manufacturing and inspection for the FAA in the Great Lakes Region. Throughout his tenure he was able to inspect the Good Year Blimp and had the credentials to inspect Air Force I. In his retirement he established Johns Airworthiness, inspecting and consulting in the field of aviation for private contractors. He and his wife moved to Mt. Pleasant from Sun City Center, FL in 2002. Much of his life revolved around aviation. He had his pilots license and he enjoyed traveling and visiting his friends and relatives. John is survived by his wife of 61 years, Doris of Mt. Pleasant; three children, Chris (Ruth) Curtice of Macomb Twp., John G. (Vicki) Curtice of Mt. Pleasant, and Alana (Jim Kidder) Curtice of Ponte Vedra Beach, FL; four grandsons, Mark and John Curtice of Macomb Twp., Michael Curtice of Mt. Pleasant and Matthew Curtice of Kansas City, MO; two great-grandsons, Grant and Tyler Curtice; five siblings, Mike (Jean) Curtice of Orlando, FL, Jean (Fred) Burch of Redondo Beach, CA, twins, Don (Joan) Curtice and Donna Fuller, both of Fremont, and Charles (Wally) Curtice of Summerville, FL; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; infant son, Todd in 1961; and brother, Chester Curtice.