In Memory of John Curnutt
1953 - 2024
This October, we received the sad news that a dedicated CTD board member, long-time disability advocate, and friend, John Curnutt, had passed away in Houston.
John first connected with CTD in 2005, requesting guidance on how to ensure that a new housing development in his hometown of Borger included accessible units. He stayed in touch, and a couple years later, drove down to Austin with his attendant, Dave Hopson, for a legislative office visit. Dennis Borel, CTD's Executive Director at the time, remembers it this way:
"We were in a very difficult legislative session. John's House Rep. was Warren Chisum, who then held a powerful position on the House Budget Committee. I could not get a meeting with Chisum, but John was a constituent. I asked John to try and he did, at 5:30 AM. John, Dave, and I met outside the door of Chisum's office at the Capitol at 5:15 AM. Sure enough, Chisum arrived. We met for some time in the very quiet building. John made the pitch for funding disability services. They connected, and Chisum kept the funding he could in that year's budget. This was by far the earliest appointment I'd had with a legislator."
It wouldn't be the last, by far. John and Dave developed close relationships with their legislators, Reps. Chisum and Four Price and Sen. Kel Seliger. John joined CTD's Board of Directors in 2010 and served for the next 12 years, until health concerns forced him to resign in 2022. During this time, he was a committed advocate, using his position and experience to advance legislation that would benefit his fellow Texans with disabilities, in their homes, out in their communities and especially, at the polls. John and Dave became fixtures at CTD, making the trip down to Austin and elsewhere across the state whenever they could to participate fully in our advocacy events. Those two knew how to have a good time, too!
Whenever signing off from an advocacy activity (a call, training, etc.), John always encouraged everyone to "give 'em hell." When we're causing good trouble this upcoming legislative session, we'll be thinking of him.
John's last wish was to donate his body to science. If you are considering the same, the program he chose for this was UT Health Houston's Willed Body Program.
Above: John (left) and Dennis speak at a CTD advocacy roundtable at UT Arlington in 2016.
