Peter James Curtin, Sr., 95 of Brockton, died peacefully at home surrounded by his loving family after a brief illness. Peter was the beloved husband of 73 years to Shirley (Standish) Curtin. Born and raised in Brockton, the son of Joseph and Gertrude (Tuite) Curtin, he was a lifelong resident of Brockton.
As a young boy, Peter worked at the Walsh Dairy Farm on Oak Street, helping his brother Joseph deliver milk. He then worked as a cattle dealer for the family business, Curtin’s Meat Market. At 19 years old, Peter joined the U.S. Army. A World War II Veteran, he served proudly with the Combat Infantry in the 81st Wild Cat Division, from the Phillipines, to New Caledonia, to Japan. Peter was a proud letter carrier at the Brockton Post Office, where he worked for 36 years. He and his brother and best friend William, had adjoining mail routes and worked side by side for many years. They were lovingly known by their customers as “the Curtin boys.” Peter had a distinguished career and received a commendation for never missing a day of work in his 36 years. He and his brother even made it to work in the Blizzard of 1978, walking many miles to work. He was the embodiment of “neither snow nor rain nor heat stays these couriers from the swift completion of their rounds.”
Peter met the love of his life, Shirley, at a fourth of July celebration at the Whitman Park and they married in July of 1946. Together they raised four children, Rosemary Sullivan of Cohasset; Laura Sacchetti of Bridgewater; June Osowski of Rutland, VT; and Peter Curtin, Jr. of Lakeville.
Peter enjoyed spending time with his family, reading, attending weekly Mass, and following local politics. In his retirement, he was well known for his daily 5 mile walks, as he and his brother would walk their former mail routes into their 80’s. He was a longtime member of the VFW, the American Legion and the National Letter Carriers Union. Peter’s family enjoyed hearing his many stories and he was quick to share the accomplishments of his children and grandchildren.
In addition to being a dedicated husband and father, he was the loving grandfather of Jennifer Denneen, Carolyn Sacchetti, Captain Peter Curtin III, USA, Abbey Curtin, Joseph Curtin, First Lt. William Curtin, USMC, Edward Osowski, Andrew Osowski, and Ellen Osowski. He was also the loving great grandfather of Liliana Denneen, Laurel Denneen and Mia Dudley. Peter was also the loving brother in a family of eleven children including Margaret Paynter, and the late Joseph, John, Anthony, William, and Robert Curtin, Ramona Reardon, Mary Reardon, Gertrude Kelly and Anne Lanoue. Peter is also survived by many loving nieces and nephews.
Visiting hours will be on Sunday, September 22, 2019, from 4-8 p.m. at Conley Funeral Home, 138 Belmont Street (Rte. 123), Brockton. The funeral procession will gather at the Conley Funeral Home on Monday, September 23, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. The funeral mass will be celebrated at 10am at St. Edith Stein Church, 71 E Main Street, Brockton. Burial will follow at Calvary Cemetery. Donations may be made in Peter’s name to the Lindsay A. Curtin Memorial Scholarship, 25 Faxon Street., Brockton, MA 02302.