Betty Curto passed away in peace at her home in Savannah, GA early in the evening on June 11th. 

Beatriz Curto nee Colon was more than just a loving mother, devoted wife and proud grandmother, loyal friend and expert chef and master knitter.  She was a force of nature.

I spent my earliest years in complete awe of my mother who never failed to impart important life lessons in her inimitable fashion.  She was strict when she needed to be but never shirked from showing exactly how important her family was.  She taught both my sister and I that blind adherence to authority was just as bad as wanton mischief and that the only real sin was hurting other people and turning a blind eye to suffering.  She defended us fiercely publicly even when we may have been in the wrong but always made sure to discipline us and teach us the right way to conduct ourselves.  She sacrificed for her children, working crazy hours at a variety of jobs to keep us fed and clothed.

She married her husband Alan Curto later in life but they made a perfect pairing.  Alan was the yin to Betty’s yang, a perfect partner who supported her without question.  They were so loving together that one could not help but stand in awe of their connection.  Alan has seamlessly become a treasured member of our family and I will never forget how wonderfully he took care of her in her final days.  Her love in him was never misplaced.

Betty loved her children deeply but I have to jealousy admit that she may have loved her grandchildren even more.  She doted on both Kino and Koah from the instant they were born at times to the chagrin of their parents.  And both children loved her deeply as well.  I will never get the image of the children at her bed in her final moments praying for their grammy, holding her hand and telling her not to be scared. 

I must admit that in her final days even I was struck at how many lives she touched and how deeply she affected people.  The revolving door of well wishers spanned not only her adopted city of Savannah but also her friends and collegues from her hometown of New York City.  The cavalcade of well wishes were touching and a testament to how easy she was to befriend and how complete and faithful her friendship was in turn.  She was never a stranger to anyone she came in contact with and had a faculty for knowing exactly how to interact with people of any creed or circumstance in order to put them at ease.  She was a selfless defender of the little guy, an advocate for the less fortunate and the person you’d want in your corner when there was an imminent fight. 

And how she could cook.  The smells that came out of our kitchen were always intoxicating, whether it was her traditional pernil with arroz con gandules or any of the delightful confections she would bake.  She put the same love into cooking she did into befriending people and it came across in her food. 

You will be missed Mom. 

In lieu of a funeral Betty wanted to have a celebration of life party.  We are starting this GoFundMe to help defray the cost of the memorial party so that her husband Alan isn't unduly burdened.  Any donations over the cost of the cremation and memorial will be donated to Big Brothers Big Sisters a charity that my mom was very involved in as a volunteer.   

The Memorial will be Saturday June 16th at 5pm in Savannah, GA.

Any donations would be greatly appreciated, and anyone interested in attending her memorial may reach me through GoFundMe or on Facebook.