Thomas J. Curtin, 82, formerly of Clarendon, Pa, died on Tuesday December 10, 2024, at the Lutheran Home at Kane, PA., after a brief illness. He was born in Warren, Pa, on July 16, 1942, the son of the late Donald Joseph and Helen Ann Ronan Curtin. Tom was a Sheffield and Clarendon resident most of his life. He was a graduate of Sheffield High School Class of 1960. He was an Eagle Scout with Boy Scout Troop 35 of Coudersport and Troop 36 Explorer Post, he also was member of Order of the Arrow, served as Vice Chief. Tom then graduated from Baldwin Wallace University and Clarion University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree of Education and a master’s degree in history and government. While in college, Tom was involved with the Public Relations Department and School Newspaper as their photographer. Tom was the history teacher for 25 years at Beaty Middle School, and for 10 years at Sheffield High School, retiring in 1999. Tom also owned and operated Curtin & Curtin Oil and Gas, with his father until 2016. In his earlier years, Tom worked at the Warren Times Observer as a photographer, and his wife Sue wrote the articles, where he and his wife worked together, and they were responsible for getting those stories together.
Tom was very active through the years, volunteering and helping when and where he could. He was a Member of St. Anthony’s of Padua R.C Church, where he served as Lector, and CCD Teacher. He was a member of the Nittany and Brokenstraw Antique Tractor Club. He was a Life member of PSEA, served as President and board member of Warren Historical Society. He was an advisor for the History Club at Beaty Middle School, Academic Club of Sheffield High School, and an instrumental coordinator of the History Fair. He served as Co- advisor for the Jr. & Sr. Historians. Tom was a board member of the Sheffield Depot Preservation Society. On August 14, 1965, at St. Anthony’s R.C. Church, Tom Married the former Susan R. Walls.
In addition to his wife, Susan, Tom is survived by one daughter, Wendy Fitch and husband James of Barnes, Pa. Granddaughter- Anna Stanko of Queens, N.Y., Grandson – Joseph Curtin of Kane, PA. Sister-in-law, Maryjane Getz and husband, Charles of Millbury, OH.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his son, Joseph J.T. Curtin.
Family and friends will be received at St. Anthony of Padua R.C. Church, on Saturday, December 14, 2024, from 11:00 A.M. to 1:00 PM, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial by Fr. Mark O’Hern, Pastor, officiating. Interment will be in Barnes Cemetery, Barnes, PA. Those wishing to place memorials may do so through Warren County Historical Society, 210 Fourth Avenue, Warren, PA. 16365;www.warrenhistory.org or Sheffield Depot Preservation Society, 75 Center Street, Sheffield, PA. 16347. E-mail condolences may be sent by visiting www.lewisfuneralhomeinc.com. The Donald E. Lewis Funeral Home, Inc. Warren, PA. has been entrusted with funeral arrangements.

It was with a great deal of regret I read this morning the passing of Mr. Tom Curtin. He was without a doubt one of the best, if not the best teachers I ever knew. He was so interesting and kept your attention and interest with ease. Mr Curtin was an unsung hero as a teacher,and friend. Rest in peace Mr Curtin, you did what you set out to do, Thank you……. Please know my thoughts and prayers are with his entire family.
I have fond and many memories of Mr Curtin, he was a great teacher and close friends to the High St Bullock family.
Sue and Wendy, I am so sorry for your loss. May you find peace and comfort.
I am so sorry for your loss. Mr. Curtain was one of my teachers at Sheffield Jr/Sr High School. I graduated in 1995. He really made learning so much fun. His class was definitely a favorite. Such an amazing great man. I hope his family knows he was loved and respected by so many.
It is with great sadness, I awake this morning to learn of the passing of Tom.
When you are in business, there are those customers who become friends and bring
delite every time there is an interaction. Funny, smart and just plain interesting is how I will
always remember Tom.
My best wishes to the whole Curtin family and sorry for your loss.
Mr. Curtin was an excellent and enthusiastic history teacher; you could tell he really had a passion for history and a love of teaching. His positive attitude and energy were inspiring, and I consider myself fortunate to have known him. While saying “He was such a nice man” sounds trite, I think it’s a great way to remember this kind soul.
I was just thinking about Mr Curtain the other day. From when he lived by us on Conewango, to the wonderful History lessons and meeting him at Lucinda’s. He was ALWAYS good for a joke or story!! RIP Mr Curtain and Hugs n Prayers for you and yours Mrs Curtain.
Tom Curtain was one of my favorite teachers at Beaty. Interesting enough in that I had him for English and not history. Tom always called me SKY. RIP Tom!
Our sincere sympathies and prayers for Sue. Wendy, and family. Many fond memories of Tom from our time teaching together at Sheffield HS.
Mrs. Curtain,
This is Dave Oelslager (Bill and Lennie’s youngest son).
My deepest condolences on Tom’s passing. I remember him well when I was in Junior High at Beaty. He was a good man.
So many great memories! From high school history to oversees travels. Mr. Curtain was always so fun to be around! If you would see him out and about it was always a hi and how are things going. He will greatly missed.
When I was a student at Beaty, I was not very interested in learning. Nothing captured my interest until the day I walked in to Tom Curtins classroom. He was more than a teacher, he was a story teller and he brought the past to life for me, with his knowledge and humor. He captured my attention from day one. I took every class that he taught and joined the history club. He gave me a love of history that never left me. It was because of Mr. Curtin that I myself became a history teacher. When I got my first job in the public school it was at Sheffield High School and Mr Curtin was the on the team that hired me. My classroom was next to his for many years. He was as entertaining and knowledgeable as a colleague as he was a teacher. I owe my career to Tom and I am blessed to have known him as a teacher, a colleague, mentor and a friend. I thank God for putting him in my life. Thank you for everything Mr Curtin.
All the comments given express exactly the teacher and friend Mr. Curtin was. I was also lucky to have had him for history class at Beaty and remember him bring history to life. He brought knowledge, personality, and his love for teaching each and every day. He was truly one of the good one and I will always remember him fondly. Peace and prayers to his family.
Mr. Curtin was the best teacher ever. No matter what life threw at him, he maintained his dignity through all classes. He taught with flare, humor and kept all of us students interested. It was always good to see him over the past few years. He will definitely be missed.
Sue,
Our condolences to you and your family. So many fond remembrances that began in Barnes at his grandparents home. We were all over Barnes together. Then he taught me how to develop pictures in his darkroom. Lots of laughs teaching him to water ski. Reading of his full life reminds us all…just being Tom.
Mr Curtain was an amazing teacher. When I was in his classes, both history then Pa history, he made every student feel valued.
I remember going on our history club trips. Sue and Tom always had Joey and Wendy with them. They cared for Joey, but always made sure Wendy knew she was loved too. That showed me so much about them both, their hearts could spread over both children seamlessly.
Mr Curtain, Tom, you have a new audience in heaven for your jokes and stories, enjoy telling them again.
I was saddened to hear of the passing of Tom Curtin. I emailed the obituary to my brother, Will in England. He echoed my feelings of Mr. Curtin, he said he was his favorite teacher in Beaty. Mr. Curtin clearly cared about his students. I appreciated how he also spent time with the history club. I went on a trip to Gettysburg with a group of students that was involved in the History Club and Mr. Curtin’s leadership of the group. We are thankful for the years and all the effort he put in to his students! I hope his family realizes that there are lots of students that grieve with them over the loss of a wonderful man! Thank you for sharing him with us!
mr.curtin, was a great teacher, I remember him teaching pa cultures in beaty,, it ended up being my favorite class, as he made it interesting,and alot of fun! great guy , wonderful teacher! i wasnt the best student, but he kept me riveted to the class!
Dear Curtin Family,
I am deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Tom. He was a remarkable teacher who left an indelible mark on my life and the lives of many others. His kindness, humor, and encouragement were a constant source of inspiration for us all at Sheffield High School.
I fondly remember the junior year trip to England that he led, which opened our eyes to the world beyond our small town. His storytelling was captivating, and his quick wit always brought smiles to our faces. His passion for history was infectious, and he had a unique ability to make us love the subject as much as he did.
Please accept my heartfelt condolences. I am truly sorry for your loss and will always remember him with great fondness.
My sincere condolences to the Curtin family on your loss.
Like so many others, I was awed and inspired by the classroom teachings of such a great man. We even discussed song lyrics of the Beatles during class.
He made a very significant impact on his students and the community where he contributed so much. His remarks about the sad sight of trash running down a stream in the woods created a lasting impression for me of how important our natural environment is to all of us.
I was blessed to have him as a teacher and benefit from his wisdom. May he have everlasting life in heaven.
“Mr. Curtin, Mr. Curtin!”. I was his pesky “shadow” at Beaty and he was my most favorite teacher and role model ever. So many wonderful memories with the History Club and PFJH. Field trips, Conventions, the Bicentennial History Fair, the Beaty book. He was such a good, decent man with character and integrity, and he had such a positive impact on so many people. Sue, thank you for all that you and Tom have done for so many of us. My heartfelt condolences. Neither of you will ever be forgotten.
Mr. Curtin will forever be remembered as such a kind, thoughtful and caring teacher and human. He inspired so many students like myself to love learning and especially history. He made Jr. High at Beaty fun and something to look forward to each day . May your cherished memories help bring you strength and comfort during this difficult time.
My condolences to the Curtain family. Mr. Curtain was an excellent educator. More importantly he was a wonderful person.
Mr. Curtain always had his students’ best interests in mind. He did more than teach history, he taught us to be considerate and responsible citizens. His stories were always about more than just the story itself.
I am a teacher today because of Mr. Curtain and I will always be grateful for the opportunity to have been one of his students.
Dear Sue, Wendy, Jim, Anna, and Joe,
It doesn’t seem real and I am sure it feels that way for you. Tom was an amazing person and an inspiration to all. I am reflecting on the wonderful times we all had together: the talks, laughs and fond memories, and the unconditional support you and Tom gave to our family. All of the testimonies written here are synonymous to what I would say, so I wanted to reply to each of them and say it was a beautiful post, and say, “Oh, yes, that’s how I feel!” But then I would be replying to every comment and that would be inappropriate because it is all intended to be written for you. It just goes to show how many people respected and loved Tom. I am so sorry it is such a sad time for all of you, and he will be sorely missed, and please know the outpouring of love from everyone he crossed paths with and influenced in such positive ways all exude an energy that will continue to live on going forward in all of our lives. You are all loved so very very much. ❤️
As a friend, coworker, and teacher of Anna and Joe, I am thinking of each of you and sending my deepest love and huge Curtin hugs.
We are so sorry for your loss. Tom will be remembered fondly. His warm smile ready for everyone will be missed!
I was very saddened to hear about Mr. Curtin’s passing. As a 1996 graduate, I have such fond memories of his classes. When my kids went to high school, I often found myself passing on the valuable lessons he taught us. He truly was a remarkable man and educator, and his impact will be deeply missed. My heartfelt condolences go out to his family during this difficult time.
Mr. Curtin was an interesting teacher and later a friend. I appreciated his encouragement and support. I still use some of his stories today. I never did get around to trading some of our Boy Scout patches/. The history lesson of Warren County boys at Gettysburg still resonates with me today. May God Bless his family and fronds,
Fellow teacher, humorist, world traveler, family first man…and more…these come to mind as we share your loss, Sue & family, of Tom but not his ebullient spirit! We loved travels with the Curtins-always fun and exciting-leaving Tom and Joe at the train station during a NYC trip…He was one of a kind and we were fortunate to know him!!
Tom Curtain was an amazing human being who gave so much to his students and the community of Warren County. His contributions were many and will live on for generations. We are all blesssed to have known him and to have loved him. Sending my deepest condolences.
Very sorry to learn that Mr. Curtin had passed. Mr. Curtin was my history teacher in Beaty, I was never interested in school until I had the good fortune to have him as my teacher; he inspired me to learn and enjoy education. Mr. Curtin was one of the rare teachers that had a profound impact on young peoples lives.