Progressive farmer John was a true gentleman who always put others first
IN his life, John Curtis was many things: a wonderful husband, a devoted father and family man, a progressive farmer, a loyal friend and a true gentleman.
John’s death on June 11 following a short illness – which he bore with tremendous courage – sent shock-waves through his native Raheen and the country’s farming community.
John’s wife Pauline, children Caoimhe (16), Conor (14), Niamh (10) and Aoibhinn (9), his parents Mogue and Anne, brothers Pat, Niall and Brendan, and sisters Caitriona, Nuala and Aine, have all been overwhelmed with the huge support and good wishes from friends and neighbours and anyone who knew him.
John grew up in The Boola, Adamstown, alongside his brothers and sisters. From the minute he could carry milk buckets, he was out on the family farm working every free minute he had. Farming was in John’s DNA and it was never a job for him, more a passion. As he grew older, he got more involved in the farm and the agricultural contracting.
He attended Good Counsel College, New Ross, where he was a very diligent and academic student. Nothing made him more proud than to see his son Conor follow in his footsteps last September.
As soon as John arrived home from school, he would catch up with Mogue and be off on the farm again. Having been offered two scholarships to farming colleges, John opted for Kildalton, following which he spent six months on work placement on the Daniels’ farm.
John did manage a social life and had great memories as a teenager being part of Raheen Youth Club where he was chairperson for a time, fun times were shared organising discos and movie nights. Up until his illness, there was nothing John loved better than the occasional night out with family and friends.
While at Kildalton he won an award from Teagasc for best exam results in 1992, also winning Dairyman of the College Year Award. In later years, he would go on to be shortlisted for National Future Farmer of the Year.
After college, he followed in Mogue’s footsteps and operated his own agricultural contracting business, working long days between numerous local farms.
He met Pauline (nee Byrne), the love of his life, and they were married in 2001 in Rathgarogue Church.
They set up a new home in the Boola and the arrival of Caoimhe, Conor, Niamh and Aoibhinn into their lives was a source of unending joy for John, who adored them and took a great interest in everything they did from cheering them on on the sidelines, to playing games at home in the garden to family days out.
He was always so proud of them and happiest with his family doing simple things. Nothing he loved better than the four children being around him on the farm. They all share his love of animals and farming.
He took over running the family farm, working alongside Mogue and, as time went on in later years, his young son Conor. He continued to expand and grow constantly, keeping up to date with the business and scientific side of farming. His expertise was much sought after and the breath of his knowledge about farming soon became known to farmers across the country through his weekly, concise local round up column in The Farmer’s Journal.
John was one of the founding GrassWatch farmers almost 20 years ago. He facilitated the Grassroots project which saw farmers from across the region gather at his farm once a month over a three-year period. He was a member of Boolaross and Ballywilliam discussion groups. John enjoyed being around fellow passionate farmers and they loved being around him.
His phone was his lifeline and his friends will know how much he loved to keep in regular contact. It was a daily ritual checking in and having a quick chat. He was never one to shy away from entertaining while Pauline was working, his home was their home and many friends were made over the years.
He gave regular talks about grass growing. A reliable, trusted source on all things grass and dairy, his straight talking, informed approach was appreciated by many and has been reflected in the hundreds of comments sent to Pauline and the family over recent days.
John was at the end of a ten-year project to transform his farm when he fell ill in January. A new milking parlour, sheds and underpass had all been constructed and he was excited to see the project coming to fruition.
For John was a visionary, who always saw the big picture.
After long days out farming, he loved nothing more than catching up with Pauline and the children and enjoyed annual holidays abroad with them, even though the thought of leaving the farm always pained him initially.
John loved Raheen: the community, its history, its people, its hills and valleys and, above all, its fields. A regular Mass-goer, he considered local priest Fr Jimmy Moynihan a close friend. He was an active member of the Raheen Parochial Committee for many years, where he also had many loyal and great friends.
John was a great neighbour and friend and they were great to him in return. He was never short of a lift to Dublin for his regular appointments, and this lifted him hugely. He never put himself first and never asked for anything, a pure gentleman, who could also be mischievous, witty, good at telling stories, have the craic and chancing his arm to get a rise out of people.
He was positive throughout his illness right up until June 11 when he passed away at home following a stay at St James’s Hospital. A strong, determined and positive man, throughout his illness his sole thought was protecting Pauline and his four young children.
The suddenness of his passing, surrounded by his family, saw a dark cloud descend on the community of The Boola and Raheen and surrounding areas. But John’s lasting legacy has brightened his family’s days.
Over 900 people watched his funeral Mass online, with neighbours, friends and various groups lining the country roads from his home to Raheen Church. His brother Pat paid a moving tribute to him at the funeral mass. His daughter Caoimhe also paid the following tribute: ‘Not all heroes wear capes, some wear overalls’.
John is sadly missed by his loving wife Pauline, his four children, Caoimhe, Conor, Niamh and Aoibhinn, his parents Mogue and Anne, brothers Pat, Niall, Brendan, and sisters Caitriona, Nuala and Aine, mother-in-law Anne and the Byrne family, his aunts, uncles, sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, nephews, nieces, extended family, neighbours and a large circle of friends.
May John Rest in Peace.