Inspiration behind Lansing community center Frank Curtis X dies at 83

Frank Curtis X could always be found with a bag of books in his arms.

The Lansing man was fascinated with genealogy and loved to tell people about their own family history, said his great-granddaughter, Jaquesha Curtis-Clark.

"When he saw you he was definitely gonna pull his books out and he was gonna read a passage out of a book," Curtis-Clark said. "It's really about a person learning about who they are and where they came from."

Curtis X, 83, who according to his obituary was the inspiration behind the South Side Community Coalition, died Jan. 30.

"He expressed to the founders that a space was needed to keep the kids on the southside of Lansing out of trouble," according to his obituary. "He stood for what was right and wasn’t afraid to express it."

The community coalition formed in 2000, and the center on West Holmes Street opened in 2003.

Curtis X was a long-time regular at Lansing City Council meetings, according to State Journal archives. Curtis-Clark said her great-grandfather liked to voice his opinion; he lived most of his adult life in Lansing and was passionate about the city.

Curtis X stressed the importance of knowing your history to everyone he met, according to his obituary. He loved people and could start a conversation with anyone. After hearing someone's last name, he could tell them where their family came from and to whom they may be related.

He didn't mess around with computers, Curtis-Clark said, but he always carried around his bag of books.

"Everybody that knew him knew he had his books," Curtis-Clark said. "As long as I've known him, he's had his books. Ever since I was a little girl."

Some of her favorite memories with her great-grandfather involve reading and learning, sitting together at the table and drinking coffee.

Curtis-Clark said she'll most miss the wisdom and knowledge Curtis X provided. So much of it — even the things she may have ignored at the time — has been beneficial, she said.

"Making sure I knew what I stood for and who I was," Curtis-Clark said. "Making me a stronger person."

Since his death, Curtis-Clark said she has heard from many people who said Curtis was the reason they stopped living on the street, or the reason they wanted to do something with their life: all because he cared to listen and talk to them.

"He was more than a man," Curtis-Clark said. "He was a father figure to me. He raised a lot of kids who weren't his own."

Gordon Wilson, who had known Curtis X since he was 8 or 9 years old, said Curtis X always told it how it was — especially at city council meetings.

"He was quite a character," Wilson said. "He was a great person. He loved his children and he loved his grandchildren. He helped raise four grandkids, all little girls."

Wilson said Curtis X has previously donated his entire tax refund to the South Side Community Coalition to help the children.

"He was a down-to-earth person and he worked very hard all his life," Wilson said.

Contact reporter Kara Berg at 517-377-1113 or kberg@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @karaberg95.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Inspiration behind Lansing community center Frank Curtis X dies at 83