Charles M. Curtin

June 22, 1922 - May 17, 1997

Charlie was born to Margaret U. Brown and Charles D. Curtin in Lackawanna, NY. The oldest of 12 children, he learned about responsibility at an early age. He worked in his grandfather's butcher shop and grocery store as a young boy besides taking care of his siblings at home. Living 2 doors from Our Lady of Victory Basilica, he knew Father Baker who used to sit with the neighborhood children and tell them stories.

He was a student at Buffalo State College where he met his future wife, Harriet L. Sterner. World War II was in full force and Charles enlisted in the US Army Air Corps, soon to be the Air Force. 

Charles went into pilot training and flew many types of airplanes. Finally he was assigned to a Bomb Squadron and received orders for overseas duty. On a leave home before departing, he married Harriet, also known as Rusty.

Deployed to the Pacific War Theater, Charles was a B-29 Superfortress Bomber Pilot, serving with the Ninth Bomb Squadron. He visited or was stationed on many Pacific islands including Tinian and the Phillippines. During his tenure on Tinian, the first atomic bomb was flown from there on the B-29 "Enola Gay".

During this time, his son, Charles Jr. was born and it would be two years before Charlie would get home to his family. After WWII, he went to Mortuary School on the GI Bill as his uncle who owned a funeral home needed help. He  went to work at the Buchheit Funeral Home in Lackawanna, NY and was licensed in the late 1940's.

In 1952, Charles and Thomas Cusack became partners, opening Curtin and Cusack Funeral Home in Lackawanna, NY. In 1957, a second location was founded on Union Road in West Seneca, NY. This building was the first in West Seneca built specifically for funeral services. 

By 1968, Union Road was expanded from two lanes to five lanes causing the original funeral chapel to be demolished and a temporary closing of this location for construction. Charles and Thomas both had sons that were planning to come into the business and they decided that this was a good time to make changes. 

Thomas decided to stay in Lackawanna and Charles stayed in West Seneca. Charles and his son expanded to a new and larger facility and became the Curtin Funeral Home, Inc. Upon reopening, Charles welcomed the public with his new partner, Charles M. Curtin, Jr. They operated the business together until the passing of Charles, Sr. in 1997.  Presently, Charles M. Curtin, Jr. continues to serve the community.
 

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