Thomas Haley Curtis (80) passed away peacefully Wednesday, June 19th in his home in Decatur, Georgia surrounded by his loved ones.

Tom was a model of patience, love, humbleness, and kindness.  He loved his family deeply and would do anything for them.  He will be so dearly missed.

Born on October 23, 1943, to Mary Frank Killen and Clarence Cecil Curtis in Florence, Alabama, Tom was the second oldest of five children.  Showing an early aptitude for math, he earned the highest math test score in the state of Alabama in 5th grade.  He later attended Coffee High School, graduating 3rd out of 125 students.  In 1961, he attended Vanderbilt University and enjoyed being a Phi Kappa Psi member.  He graduated with a BA in Chemistry (minor in Mathematics) in 1965.  In 1966, his first child, Patrick Wyatt Curtis, was born.

Tom met Dana in 1968 in Louisville, KY where he was working as a chemist and paint formulator for Celanese Coatings.  The two were married October 17th, 1970.  Tom worked for several companies over the next few years and eventually moved to Atlanta, where his two daughters, Haley Elizabeth and Hannah Marie, were born in 1978 and 1979.

Family was always important to Tom, as he was a beloved husband and father to his children.  In the 1980’s and ‘90’s, Tom was an avid tennis player and softball coach and enjoyed supporting his kids at their various events and sports.  Tom took many trips with his family, which he always said were some of his favorite memories in his life.

In 1993, he founded Americolor, a company that specialized in interior and arts and crafts paint.  He would eventually turn Americolor into Synta, Inc., a coatings company, and worked hard as the CEO of the company for over 15 years.  Tom was an inventor and entrepreneur and obtained multiple U.S. patents for his creations in the paint and coating industry.

Tom was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in 2011.  Around this time, he sold his company to Rusteoleum and retired. During his retirement, he and Dana cherished traveling and spending time with family and friends.  He spent lots of time at Lake Oconee fishing and boating and also enjoyed being with his grandchildren.  He also was a supporter of Parkinson’s Research through Emory University.

Tom was known for his sense of humor and wit.  He was a man of few words, but would crack a clever joke seemingly out of nowhere. He loved Coke floats, white beans, and a good pork chop.   His philosophy in life was: If you’re at a steakhouse, order a steak.

Tom is survived by his loving wife of 54 years, Dana Marie of Decatur, sisters Mary and Helen, children Patrick (wife Tanya), Haley, (husband Eric) and Hannah (wife Ruth) and grandchildren Natalie (30), Emily (27), Luke (11), Owen (9), Gracie (9), Timothy (6), and Tallulah (6).

A funeral mass will be held at St. Thomas More Catholic Church 630 W Ponce de Leon Ave, Decatur, GA 30030 on July 13th at 10:30am.   A celebration of Tom’s life will immediately follow at Dana’s house.   All are welcome to attend.

In Lieu of flowers, should friends desire, the family requests memorial contributions be made to the Jean and Paul Amos Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Program at Emory University in Tom’s honor.  Donations can be made https://securelb.imodules.com…

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