Curtis Russell Cerney, 43, of Summerville, SC, formerly of White Lake, MI, passed away on August 24, 2021, after a battle with Covid. He is survived by his wife, Andrea Krozal Cerney, and their two children Anderson and Alexandra Cerney of MI. In addition, he is also survived by his parents, Ralph and Mary Ann Cerney of FL; one brother, Charles (Dawn) Cerney of FL; as well as his in-laws, Eugene and Barbara Krozal of MI, brothers-in-law, Christian (Alexis) Krozal and David Krozal of MI; and two nephews and a niece, Logan Cerney and Jacob and Emily Krozal.

Curtis was born at Sheppard AFB, Wichita Falls, TX on February 16, 1978. Curtis grew up the son of an Air Force father, so his moves and schools in his early life were many. From coast to coast and north to south, he seemed to always think of most of these moves as new adventures. He graduated from high school in Gulf Breeze, Fl, and went on to attend the University of Central Florida in Orlando, where he was a member of the Delta Upsilon Fraternity. He finished his studies at Eastern Michigan University in 2005, with a degree in Business/Human Resources. He worked as a production manager at Chrysler’s Warren Truck Assembly Plant in Warren, MI for several years and was most recently employed at Mercedes Benz in Ladson, SC.

Curtis met his wife, Andrea, in October of 2003 at his cousin’s wedding. Within a year of their meeting, he relocated from Florida to Michigan. They were engaged and a year later and were married in Detroit, Michigan on August 27, 2005. They welcomed their first child, Anderson, in December of 2007. Curtis loved his son and often referred to him as “Bud-Bud”, a name that he called Anderson lovingly up to his passing. In September of 2010, they welcomed their second child, Alexandra, to much of their surprise, a girl! The Cerney family had endured a long streak of boys. Curtis adored Ali and they shared Ne-Yo’s “Never Knew I Needed” as their song. Curtis and Andrea were adventurous and loved to travel with their children to places like The Bahamas, Cuba, the Eastern Caribbean, Mexico, Jamacia, Puerto Rico, and Curtis’s particular favorite, the Cayman Islands. Their adventures continued at home in 2018, when they hosted an exchange student from Germany. Their “German daughter”, Pia, instantly became another member of the Cerney family and joined them on many of their trips both around the US and abroad.

Curtis worked hard, but he never forgot how to have fun. He loved Halloween, Disney, animals, the beach, friends, music, and sports. A good joke and a sprinkling of sarcasm were always present when he was around. His sense of humor and laughter could light up a room and will never be forgotten. Above all else, family was the most important thing to him. He was always up for any adventure if they were by his side. He will be lovingly remembered and missed by all who knew him. Until we meet again, husband, father, son, brother, uncle, and best friend.

The funeral mass for Curtis is being held at St. James Catholic Church in Novi, MI on Friday, October 8, 2021, at 10 am. There will be a visitation beginning at 9:30 am prior to mass. The family requests no flowers. If you choose to honor Curtis, please consider a donation in his memory to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN.

“How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”
-Winnie the Pooh, A.A. Milne, author