On Jan. 14, 2026, Lewis “Lew” G. Curtis, Maj. Gen., USAF (ret), passed away.

Lew was born Feb. 8, 1934, in Medford, Massachusetts (MA). He grew up in Winchester, MA, and Biddeford Pool, Maine (ME), and was called “Lewie” as a young boy. He helped with his father’s work in fixing equipment for the dairy bottling industry and grew to LOVE cars. Lew was very proud of his status as a first generation American from Newfoundland, Canada.

Lew graduated from Winchester High School in 1951 where he was on the track and cross country teams as well as a member of the marching band. Prior to graduating from Boston University in 1955, with both an associate of arts and bachelor of science degrees in public relations and communications, Lew and Wendy Wood, his wife of 62 years, were married. They eloped to Nashua, New Hamp- shire, because Lew, at the age of 20, was too young to get married in Massachusetts. Lew joined Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corp (AFROTC) in order to delay being drafted into the military. He was commissioned into the Air Force in 1955, the same year as the birth of his son.

Hoping to go to pilot training (his vision eliminated that possibility), Lew was selected to go to Bomber Armament and Electronics Maintenance and Nuclear weapons training at Lowry AFB, Colorado. Wendy often said the best thing to happen to Lew was being assigned to maintenance - he was really good at it as he constantly was checking and maintaining things in both his professional and personal life. Graduating in 1956, Lew was assigned to the 305th Bombing wing at MacDill AFB, Florida (where his two daughters were born) maintaining and supporting B-47s and KC-97s. After a second attempt at pilot training at Moore AFB, Texas, his vision problems eliminated him again. Going back to aircraft maintenance in B-58s (his favorite plane) at Bunker Hill AFB, Indiana, then to Headquarters Strategic Air Command (1962) as a B-58 Avionics Maintenance Officer as well as a Maintenance Planner for the SR-71, Lew was selected to go to Air Command and Staff College in 1965. He graduated from there in 1966 and went to Bitburg AFB, Germany as the 36th TFW Maintenance Control Officer with the F-4Ds and subsequently the 36th Avionics Maintenance SQ Commander.

In 1969, Lew was transferred to the 388th Avionics Maintenance SQ Commander at Korat Royal Thai Air Base with the F-4Ea. From there, he went to the Pentagon as a staff officer in the aircraft maintenance division and subsequently as the Executive Officer for the Director of Maintenance and then as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Systems and Logistics. Leaving the Air Staff in 1973, he stayed in DC to attend the Industrial College of the Armed Forces (ICAF).

Lew was then back in Germany again as the Director of Maintenance and Munitions at HQ United States Air Force Europe (USAFE) at Ramstein AFB. In 1977, he went to the Oklahoma Air Logistics Center (ALC), Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, as the Aircraft Maintenance Division overhauling B-52s, KC-135s and A-7 aircraft. He jokes that he was fired because he was only there for 3 weeks before he was reassigned to Ogden ALC, Hill AFB, Utah.

Lew was promoted to Brigadier General in 1980 and became Vice Commander of the San Antonio ALC, Kelly AFB, Texas. In 1981 he became the Deputy Chief of Staff for Maintenance at HQ AFLC, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. In 1982, he returned to HQ USAFE Ramstein AFB, Germany as the Deputy Chief of Staff Logistics. Upon com- pletion of this tour in 1985, Lew became the Commander of San Antonio ALC, Kelly AFB, Texas, retiring from active duty in June 1989.

Lew kept equally busy upon retirement from the Air Force by signing on as a consultant with Burdeshaw and Associates. Wendy referred to it as “Rent A General!” He also became very active in the Boothbay Harbor, Maine, community where he and Wendy settled. Lew was active in the American Legion, the Lions Club, Emergency Management, the decommissioning of the Yankee Nuclear Plant, the Sewer District and the Water District (where they recently named their maintenance building after him).

In 2005, when Wendy decided she didn’t like Lew climbing onto the roof of the house to shovel off the snow, they started being snowbirds, spending their winters at Air Force Village II, in San Antonio, Texas. They kept increasing their time spent in Texas until 2016, the year Wendy passed away, when they finally decided to sell their home in Maine. Lew went to the weekly Airman Basic Military Training graduation ceremonies whenever he was in San Antonio. The last graduation ceremony he was able to attend was on his 90th birthday where they honored him with a special Military Training Instructor (MTI) mass formation. Lew always sat up in the back row of the grandstand, out of the way. He said it was his way of honoring the MTIs and enlisted folks who helped and supported him throughout his career.

Among his awards and decorations are a 1987 Distinguished Alumni Award from the Boston University College of Communication, a 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Logistics Officers Association and a 2015 Boston University College of Communication Life Time of Service Award. His military decorations include the Air Force Distinguished Service Award with one oak leaf cluster (OLC), the Legion of Merit with two OLCs, the Bronze Star medal with Valor, the Meritorious Service medal with one OLC, the Air Force Commendation medal with one OLC and several other medals and ribbons, including the Vietnam Service medal with four battle stars.

He was predeceased by his wife of 62 years, Wendy Wood Curtis; his daughter, Donna Lyn Busby, great-grandchildren, Oceanus and Raegan and his parents Lewis G. and Stella B. Curtis.

He is survived by his son L. Gregory Curtis and wife, Mariella of Raymond, Maine and Susan Curtis and husband, Marcelo Reta Jr. of San Antonio, Texas; his sister, Sandra C. Hofmann, six grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, several nieces and a nephew.

A Celebration of Life will be held March 26, 2-5 p.m., at Blue Skies of Texas West Roadrunner Lounge

A Celebration of Life in Boothbay Harbor, Maine to be determined.

Internment of ashes at Maine Veterans Memorial Cemetery to be determined.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to one of the charities below. Boston University Gift Processing, Attn: MG Lewis G Curtis c/o JP Morgan Chase & Co PO Box 22605 NY, NY 10087-2605; Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library, 4 Oak Street Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538; American Legion Post 36, 25 Industrial Park Road, Boothbay Harbor, ME 04537; Air Force Villages Charitable Foundation, Attn: Freedom House, 5100 John D. Ryan Blvd, San Antonio, TX 78245.