Curtis Lane Holmes, age 85, residing in Elkhart, Indiana passed away with family by his side on Wednesday, December 29, 2021 at Memorial Hospital of South Bend after a short illness. Curtis was born on May 17, 1936 in Springfield, Massachusetts to the late Frederic C. and Katherine L. (Spinney) Holmes. In addition to his parents, a brother Milton C. Holmes preceded him in death.

Curtis grew up in Lee, Massachusetts and moved with his family to LaPorte, Indiana in 1951 where he graduated from LaPorte High School in 1954. He continued his education at Purdue University and graduated with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering in 1959. Curtis then served in the Indiana National Guard and United States Army. Later, Curtis returned to college and graduated from University of Notre Dame in 1968 with a M.S. in Chemistry.

During a winter furlough in 1959, Curtis met the love of his life Kathleen A. Cannon and began to date when Curtis returned from active duty. Curtis and Kathleen were married at St. Peters Church in Laporte, Indiana on November 26, 1960. They settled down in Elkhart, Indiana where they raised their three children William, Gregory, and Katherine Kiley.

Curtis accepted a job in the Research and Development Department of CTS Corporation, Elkhart Indiana in 1960. In the year 1970, before the age of safety goggles, Curtis was working with a small amount of acid which superheated and ultimately exploded in his face causing severe damage to both of his eyes. Through advancements in cornea transplants over the years, the Good Lord provided him with just enough vision to continue without complete blindness throughout the remainder of his life. During his time at CTS Corporation, Curtis enjoyed working with his work family and in fields of science consisting of Thick-Film Materials, Electroplating and Electroless Plating Chemistry, and the Science of Solders and Soldering. Curtis obtained nine United States Patents and four trade secrets before retiring while a Senior Scientist with nearly 43 years of service.

Curt's first priority was providing for his loving wife and family. He loved spending time with his children and grandchildren, learning about their interests, and following their activities. Curtis also researched and wrote manuscripts of his family history for over fifty years, enjoyed being an avid fan of Purdue basketball and football, loved to travel and explore new destinations, collected items of all sorts (stamps, coins, baseball cards, DVDs), and studied to become an expert for most topics that crossed his mind. He had a wealth of knowledge where family and friends could always count on him to have immediate answers to just about any question. Curtis was affiliated with several organizations including The American Legion, American Chemical Society, National Rifle Association of America, and the Greenleaf Manor Homeowners Association.

Curtis is survived by his loving wife of 61 years, Kathleen, his three children William C. Holmes of Elkhart, Gregory C. (Sherri) Holmes of Edwardsburg, MI, and Kiley H. (Matthew) Wood of Granger, IN; his four loving grandchildren Curtis Lee Holmes, Madison K. (Austin) Meadows, Kacey L. Wood, and Mackenzie K. Wood; his great granddaughter Maelynn R. Meadows; nephew Zachary C. Holmes, and niece Cassandra L. Holmes-Tuller. He leaves behind an extended family and many friends that loved and adored him.

Services celebrating the life of Curtis L. Holmes will begin at 1:00 p.m. Friday, January 7, 2021. Friends may visit with the family starting at 11:00 a.m. at Billings Funeral Home, 812 Baldwin St. Elkhart, Indiana. Pastor Josh King, of Granger Community Church, will officiate. Burial to follow at Rice Cemetery, where the United States Army Funeral Honor Guard and DAV #19 will render the military honors. Family kindly requests memorial donations to: Donate Online: https://mylegion.org/PersonifyEbusiness/Donate or By Mail, American Legion Charities - Veterans Strengthening America. The American Legion, Donation Processing, PO Box 1954, Indianapolis, IN 46206

Condolences may be made online at www.billingsfuneralhome.com