Helen Booth (Conrad) Curtis

SOUTH LANCASTER - Helen Booth (Conrad) Curtis, the matriarch of the big and boisterous Curtis family of South Lancaster, MA, passed away into the loving arms of Jesus on December 27, 2015. Helen was born on November 14, 1926 in Malden, MA. She later met her husband, Edgar Chase Curtis, and they soon began what would become a large family with 12 children. They settled in South Lancaster in the mid 50’s residing at the old farmhouse on Mill Street. Helen returned back to school after all her children were born to become a registered nurse, and worked the nightshift until she was 70. Her lifelong passion was her garden, both at home and in the community. Over 40 years ago she bought a few dozen trees and convinced the town to plant them along Main Street. She converted two rocky plots of land into small public gardens that she cared for well into her 80s. She was a lifelong member of the Village Seventh-Day-Adventist Church in South Lancaster and sat in the same pew for 60 years. Her faith was a source of comfort and strength throughout her life. Above all, family was the center of her universe, and to her family she was the center of theirs. Her surviving children are Diane Colom, Lawrence Curtis, Jeffrey Curtis, Amy Day, Melissa Curtis, Theodore Curtis, Jonathan Curtis, Alan Curtis, Stacey Curelop, Matthew Curtis, Emery Curtis, and their spouses. She was gifted another child when Michelle Binetti Merlino came to live at the house as a teenager. She was preceded in death by her husband Edgar and daughter, Wendy Gazaui. Her memory will be carried by her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. When asked how many grandchildren she had, she said, “I’ve lost count.” Her front door was never locked and neither was her heart. There will be a private service for the family under the care of Miles ~ Sterling Funeral and Tribute Center, 100 Worcester Road, Sterling. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations in Helen’s name be made to the Lancaster Garden Club, PO Box 22, South Lancaster, MA 01561. To share a memory or offer an online condolence, please visit our "Guest Book" here on our page.