Daniel Barry Curtis

Daniel Barry Curtis, 82, of Calimesa, California, passed away on December 18, 2025 in Los Angeles. He was born on February 4, 1943, in Fairmont, West Virginia, to James Leonard Curtis and Lenora D. Curtis.

Dan grew up in Fairmont, West Virginia. From an early age, he showed curiosity, ambition, and a desire to learn new things, including studying taxidermy during his high school years. After graduating from high school in 1961, he moved to Detroit, Michigan, where he began his studies at Wayne State University while serving in the United States Navy Reserves. He married Carole Annette Jacobs in 1968 before going on active duty with the Navy. During this time, he served a total of eight years in the United States Navy while earning both a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and a Master of Business Administration from Wayne State University.

In 1971, Dan began a distinguished 28-year career with the United States Postal Service. His ambition and dedication led him through progressively responsible roles across the country, with assignments in Grand Rapids (Michigan), Chicago, St. Louis, North Platte (Nebraska), and Washington, DC. In 1996, while serving as Director of the Consumer Response Division under the Vice President of Consumer Affairs, he was selected to represent the Postal Service on Vice President Al Gore's interagency task force, the National Performance Review, whose goal was to make government more efficient and responsive. For the final two years of his postal career, he served in the International Division, working with European postal services and traveling abroad, often with Carole joining him.

After retiring from the Postal Service in March 1999, Dan joined the International Post Corporation in Brussels, Belgium, as a senior consultant. Dan and Carole spent a year in Europe, where he worked to advance adoption of electronic postmarking technology for international postal communications, collaborating with postal services in Canada, France, and the United States. After returning to the United States in 2000, Dan and Carole moved to Easton, Maryland in 2001. He continued consulting on electronic postmark technology and secure communications implementations for postal and federal agencies through his work at several private companies until 2007. In 2010, they began spending winters in Florida. He later became involved with Offenhauser Equipment in Los Angeles, a long-standing manufacturer of racing and performance automotive parts, eventually purchasing the company with his son Jason and enjoying the challenge of building the business together. He and Carole recently relocated to Southern California to be closer to the business.

Dan was ambitious and driven, and known for his kind and generous nature. From making fishing lures to sell as a boy to taking on the challenge of running an automotive parts manufacturing business with his son decades later, he approached every endeavor with energy and determination. Throughout his life, his generosity and service to others took many forms - fixing cars for neighbors, working on home remodeling projects, mentoring colleagues in their careers, showing up for family gatherings, staying connected through regular phone calls, and volunteering as an election judge in Maryland for several years. He was a lifelong learner who loved working with his hands to build and fix things and spending time outdoors fishing, boating, and hunting in his youth.

Dan is survived by his beloved wife of 57 years, Carole Annette Curtis; his daughter Lenette Curtis Wells (Stuart Wells); his son Jason Curtis and his partner Sara Pauley; grandchildren Nicholas Wells and Matthew Wells; his brother Jim Curtis and his wife Patricia and family. He was predeceased by his parents, James Leonard Curtis and Lenora D. Curtis.

A memorial service and interment will be held in June 2026 in the Detroit area. Interment will be at Michigan Memorial Park Cemetery in Flat Rock, Michigan. For those unable to attend in person, the service will be available via Zoom. Details will be announced at a later date.

The family is deeply grateful for the outpouring of love and support during this difficult time. Please share your memories and stories of Dan on the funeral home's guestbook page—your reflections bring comfort and help us celebrate his life.