Thomas E. Curtis; Retired Engineer

Thomas E. Curtis, a retired engineer who worked on several large public works projects, has died in Mission Hills. He was 77.

A resident of Sylmar, Curtis died Wednesday of bone cancer, said his wife, Dorothy Curtis.

Born Sept. 10, 1912, in Phoebus, Va., Curtis came to California as a child. He graduated from Eagle Rock High School and later attended Los Angeles City College, where he studied mechanical design engineering.

He worked as an organizing production engineer, trouble-shooting on construction projects throughout the country that included the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, the Metro subway system in Washington, D.C., and the Newhall Tunnel, which carries water to Los Angeles from Northern California. He retired in the mid-1970s.

Curtis also enjoyed repairing clocks and belonged to a clock club in the San Fernando Valley.

He is survived by his wife of 47 years; son, Dwight Thomas Curtis of Oroville; daughter, Linda Mae Thompson of Boulder Creek; brother, Richard Curtis of Arcadia; sisters, Virginia Otto of Lake Elsinore and Frances Davis of Tujunga; seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

A private service will be held Wednesday at Eternal Valley Memorial Park in Newhall. Eternal Valley Mortuary in Newhall is handling the arrangements. Donations can be made in Curtis’ name for bone cancer research to the American Cancer Society.