Our dear Jacqueline Allen Curtis, age 53, passed away peacefully and returned to her heavenly home on November 2, 2022, in Katy, Texas after a courageous two-year battle with brain cancer, a glioblastoma tumor.
She was born on April 9, 1969, in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Paul and Dixie Allen. She had a wonderful childhood there. She graduated from Bountiful High School in 1987 where she was active in the pep club and drill team. She made many friends and found great joy and success participating in regional and state competitions, including winning a state championship her senior year. From her dance experience, she developed exceptional self-discipline that served her well as she set and achieved goals throughout her life.
Jackie graduated from Utah State University in Logan, Utah, with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, where she was also an active member of the Alpha Chi Omega sorority. During her senior year, she served as a student body officer (education senator) for the College of Education and ran a campaign based on service. She loved dancing with the Sunburst dancers and cherished the many friends and memories she made during her time in Logan.
Jackie married her best friend James Curtis in the LDS Logan, Utah Temple in 1992 and recently celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary. From their humble Utah beginnings, they moved to Boston and began their family, eventually moving to Houston, Texas where Jackie enjoyed the beautiful weather and the wonderful Texan hospitality. She was a devoted wife, and she and Jim absolutely loved spending time together. Cooking, taking long walks, and traveling to the mountains with the family in the summertime, especially to Utah, were some of their favorite activities.
Jackie taught school in both Utah and Texas. She was a well-beloved teacher during the time she taught. Many of her former students would often drop by to say hi and visit. She was also beloved by her students’ parents. During meet the teacher night, it was not uncommon for the parent line to extend out the door.
Jackie’s greatest joy and satisfaction and where she excelled most was being a loving spouse and a mother to her four children: Jaxon, Abigail, Clayton, and Chloe, all born in her beloved Boston, Massachusetts. She loved them dearly. Her mothering style was one of kindness and gentle persuasion that was the impetus for helping her children find success in sports, dance, academics, and the various extracurricular activities in which they participated. She enjoyed time spent decorating and keeping an exceptionally clean and well-organized home for those she loved.
Jackie was a faithful and life-long member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She possessed a strong and abiding faith in Jesus Christ. She held many callings in the church, such as Young Women’s President and Primary President, along with a litany of teaching and service callings in the Relief Society, a worldwide women’s organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Her daily communication with her children often included scriptures, uplifting quotes, interesting articles, and inspiring stories. When her children had a difficult decision to make or found life challenging, her suggestion was to pray and then listen to the Lord for personal revelation.
She is survived by her husband, James Curtis; children, Jaxon (Vanessa), Abigail McIntosh (Caleb), Clayton, and Chloe; a sister, Jennifer Ericksen (Vern); a brother, Jason Allen; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her father, Paul Brown Allen; her mother, Dixie Gunderson Allen; and her brother Jeffery Allen.
The family is grateful for the wonderful cancer care provided by Dr. Jay-Jiguang Zhu, Dr. Yoshua Esquenazi, and Dr. Mark Amsbaugh, as well as many nurses, at the UTHealth Neurosciences Center in Houston, Texas.
Funeral services will be held at 12:00 noon on Friday, November 11, 2022, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 9100 Heritage Bluff Drive, Richmond, TX 77406, with time to visit the family beginning at 9:30 am. A graveside memorial will occur on Monday, November 14, 2022, at 1:00 pm in Bountiful, Utah, at the Bountiful City Cemetery in Utah near her family.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Jacqueline Curtis Memorial Fund at UTHealth Houston for brain cancer research.
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