Curtis Schweitzer

Curtis G. Schweitzer, 70, of Cavalier, ND, passed away in his home in September 2017. A memorial service will be held Sunday, October 15, 2017, at 2:00 p.m. at the Askew Funeral Home in Cavalier. Visitation will be held for one hour before the time of the service. Curtis was born January 31, 1947, in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Curtis spent most of his life in Cavalier, where he graduated from high school in 1965. He went on to attend Mayville State University where he studied primarily mathematics and physics. Later Curtis learned programming and coding at the Electronic Computer Programming Institute in Minneapolis, where he lived for a number of years. Upon his return to Cavalier, Curtis was employed with the Pembina State Park, where he enjoyed hiking, target practice and searching for fossils in the Pembina Gorge. Soon he transitioned to his long-time position as a software engineer with the Department of Defense at the Cavalier Air Force Station. There Curtis became fascinated with outer space, and often told tales of the "junk" floating past the exosphere, including machine parts, chunks of metal, garbage and even hats & shoes. Over time Curtis progressed through the ranks of the technology industry and worked as a government analyst with the DOD, until his retirement in 2007. During his esteemed career, he received several awards from revered organizations such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Orbital Debris Collaboration Sphere Project, recognizing his outstanding contributions to their research. Curtis moved to Mandan, North Dakota, in 2011, and spent several years enjoying holidays, events and regular gatherings with his extended family. He was close with his cousins, aunts & uncles and their many generations of children. Curtis was interested in his genealogy and liked to talk about those who had gone before him, sharing pictures and stories with those who are still here. He also delighted in classic rock music and classic cars. Curtis loved astrology, photography, historical research, tinkering with electronic gadgets and collecting items that captured the imagination, like cameras & telescopes. Curtis also appreciated cruising and playing tunes with his family in Faribault, Minnesota, with whom he visited frequently. He returned to Cavalier permanently in 2015, where he spent the remainder of his full and colorful life enjoying the wonderful company and outstanding conversation of his closest friends, including Jim, Gilbert, Kirby, Larry, and Neil. Curtis Schweitzer was preceded in death by his parents, William and Irene (Schafer) Schweitzer, of Cavalier. He is survived by an endless supply of extended family, friends, and neighbors who loved him in his life and will miss him in his death. As we all remember Curtis' remarkable sense of humor, we can hold him in our hearts and continue to laugh with him as we reflect on one of his favorite quotes: "You're a ghost driving a meat-coated skeleton made from stardust, riding a rock, hurtling through space. Fear nothing." You're a star now, Curtis, floating in your favorite place. Rest well and shine on.