Obituary of Wm. Curtis DeCoste

DeCOSTE, Wm. Curtis - 72, Boylston, Guysborough Co., passed away Thursday, February 10, 2005, in Guysborough Memorial Hospital, after a long battle with cancer, surrounded by his family. Born December 1, 1932, to the late Billy and Martha (Levangie) DeCoste (Mulgrave). He started work with the Canadian National Railway as a telegraph operator working his first shift at West Bay Road, then at many other stations between North Sydney and Moncton, N.B. In 1975, the family moved to Moncton where Curtis worked as a train dispatcher, then chief train dispatcher and later with the communications department. After 38 years of service with the CNR, he and his family retired to Boylston in 1989. Curtis was dedicated in his service to the community and was actively involved with the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 81, holding office as president and in many other capacities, starting the Youth Dart League; a chair for Meals on Wheels; worked with the Boylston/Manchester Fire Department; the AA Program as member, regional representative and board member of Recovery House; member of the N.S. Safe Driving Committee; a member of St. Patrick's parish, Guysborough Intervale and Finance Committee. He chaired bowling, darts and curling. He was president of many seniors organizations: Boylston Bayview Seniors Club; Antigonish/Guysborough Seniors Council; N.S. Federation of Senior Citizens and Pensioners and the National Pensioners and Senior Citizens Federation; Zone Representative for the Guysborough County Older Adult Games; coordinator for Help a Senior Project. He received the Queen's Jubilee Medal (2002) award for outstanding contributions on senior issues and the N.S. Provincial Exceptional Volunteer Award. Curtis played short stop for the Antigonish Red Raiders when they won the Maritime A Championships in 1958 and 1963; was a founding member of the Umpires Association for the Antigonish area and was Umpire in Chief for the Eastern County's Softball Association; Rural Hockey League Statistician. He leaves to mourn his wife of 52 years, Helen (Purcell); sons, Curtis (Sharon), St. Albert, Alta.; Stephen (Dawn), Riverview, N.B.; Gerard (Judy), Fredericton, N.B.; Mark (Jean Saint-George), Montreal, Que.; Patrick (Emmerich Kremeth), Toronto, Ont.; Timothy (Cheryl Benoit), Edmonton, Alta.; daughters, Michelle (Mike) Chisholm, Ohio; Celeste (Iain) MacMullin, St. Andrews; Jeannine (Fred) Munro, Guysborough Interval; Suzette (Pierre) Morell, Pomquet; Cari (Stuart Smith), Riverview, N.B.; Krista (John Bastin), Antigonish; 26 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. He is also survived by sister, Mary Fougere, Creignish; brother, Ambrose, Mulgrave. He was predeceased by his brother, Bert; sister, Maureen MacDougall-Keddy. Visitation will be held 7-9 p.m. Saturday and 2-4, 7-9 p.m. Sunday in Dennis Haverstock Funeral Home, Guysborough. Funeral mass will be held at 11 a.m. Monday in St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church with Father Will MacPherson officiating. Immediate family flowers only, please. Donations in memory of Curtis may be made to the Guysborough Memorial Hospital or Canadian Cancer Society. Words of comfort may be forwarded to the family at: www.haverstocks.com