Curtis H. Stiles III ’56 died on October 20, 2025, in Brookline, Massachusetts.

(The following was provided by the Wellesley Townsman in December 13, 2025:)

Curtis Henry Stiles III, 90, of Brookline and Orleans, Massachusetts, passed away peacefully on October 20, 2025, after a seven-year battle with prostate cancer. Born in New Bedford in 1934, he spent his formative years in Hyannis, graduating from Barnstable High School. He went on to Bowdoin College –– a lifelong touchstone –– then to Harvard University, where he received his graduate degree in education. In 1958 he married Marilyn Aneyci of Providence, Rhode Island, with whom he had four children and shared the rest of his life. They settled in Needham, Massachusetts, where Curtis taught history in neighboring Wellesley. By the time of his retirement thirty-eight years later, he was the longest serving teacher in the Wellesley public school system. He also worked many weekends as a motion picture projectionist and served as the head of the local union.

During their long retirement together, Curtis and Marilyn divided their time between the buzz of their Brookline neighborhood and their woodland retreat in Orleans, which returned Curtis to his roots. He was at heart a true son of Cape Cod, deeply devoted to a simple and private life in nature, and to his fishing rod. When not putting a lure in the water, he was a lover of the symphony, the opera, the Red Sox, fine cuisine, and travel, especially the Caribbean, France, and Spain. His love of history revolved around a lifelong interest in the Second World War, to include an extensive library and artifact collection.  He could also mix a mean cocktail.

Above all, Curtis was a wise and gentle soul who passed through this life without complaint. An unwavering presence, he will be remembered by his family as the quiet heart of it, and for the courage with which he faced his illness. His last words to all of us were, “I don’t want to let you go.”

Curtis is survived by his wife, Marilyn; his daughters Jane and Cindy (and her husband, John); his sons Barry and Paul (and his wife, Sarah); and five grandchildren.