Ivan Curtis Acton Jr.

Ivan Curtis Acton Jr., 79, of Canon City made his journey home to be with our Lord and Savior, his father, mother, brother, and wife on April 8, 2022. Curtis was born in Pueblo, Colorado on April 13, 1942, to Ivan and Maxine Acton; he was their firstborn.

Curtis was raised and educated in the Canon City school system, and he proudly graduated from Canon City High School with the class of 1961. After high school, Curtis enlisted in the United States Army getting stationed in Thailand. He was honorably discharged in 1965 and returned to his hometown where he met the love of his life, Juanita Jane Lewis. They met in downtown Canon City while cruising Main Street and were united in marriage on August 27, 1966. One year later they welcomed their firstborn, Barry, and in 1970 they welcomed their daughter, Julie.

Curtis worked many jobs after leaving the military until he found his niche in law enforcement with the Canon City Police Department in 1977. In 1992, due to medical reasons, he retired early from the CCPD. Curtis served his community well and received many accommodations and awards during his fifteen years of service to the Canon City community. One of his favorite activities was portraying McGruff the Crime Fighting Dog during school events and parades; anyone that encountered McGruff during the 1980s met Curtis.

Curtis and Juanita were married for 47 years until his beloved Juanita passed on February 25, 2014. Curtis worked hard to meet the needs of his family and his community, and he was able to balance the duties of being a police officer, a husband, and a father.

Curtis kept people at the top of their game, always looking for a way to get the best of his family and his coworkers. Curtis always had a joke and made sure he shared it with everyone. He never met a stranger. 

Curtis is survived by his sisters, Susan Prom and Loy (Ann) Bellis; children, Barry Acton and Julie (Joe) Gilbert; grandchildren, Heather (Justin) Skerjanec, Mandee (Joe) Sanders, Tricia (Dakota) Brown, and Mellannei (Morgun) Fraley; as well as his great-grandchildren, Arlo, Jensen, Silver, Axel, Burt, and Liesel.

Curtis is preceded in death by his mother, Leona Maxine (Whitelaw) Acton; father, Ivan Curtis Acton; brother, Terry Acton; grandson, Joey Gilbert; and his beloved wife, Juanita Jane (Lewis) Acton.

A Celebration of Life will be held from 5:00-7:30 PM on Friday, April 15, 2022, at the Florence Mortuary; all are welcome to share their stories and interactions with Curtis. A private family inurnment will be held at a later time. 

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Alzheimer’s organization of your choice. Arrangements were made through Holt Family Funeral Home Florence Historic Chapel with online condolences at www.holtfamilyfuneralhomes.com.

God bless America!

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