We extend our sympathies and gratitude to the family of 20-year AAUW Greensboro member Dr. Margaret Curtis who passed away at her home on January 24, 2022. Margaret was our friend. She was a tireless champion of educational access and equity, especially in the STEM fields. For more on Dr. Curtis’ legacy read here.
Margaret was a lifelong student and educator. She attended Howard University, where she earned bachelor and graduate degrees before earning her doctorate in genetics. During her distinguished academic career, she taught at schools in Germany and in the U.S. at Fitchburg State, Livingstone College, Albion College, where she served as provost, Lawrence University, where she was dean of students, and Bennett College. She also worked closely with the National Science Foundation (NSF) evaluating, initiating and managing programs promoting STEM education.

Dr. Margaret W. Curtis, 75, of Greensboro, North Carolina and formerly of Tyaskin, departed this life on Monday, January 24, 2022, at home surrounded by her loving family members and in prayer with her pastor. She was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on April 9, 1946, to the late Marian B. Williams and Theodore Wright. She was raised by Alexander Williams.

Margaret was a lifelong student and educator. She attended Wicomico County public schools and graduated from Salisbury High School where she served as senior class president. She attended Howard University where she earned bachelor and graduate degrees before earning her doctorate in genetics in 1976. During her distinguished academic career, she started out as a secondary school teacher in Washington, D.C., teaching at Coolidge, McKinley, and Academy of Notre Dame High Schools before moving on to teach at universities around the world, including universities in Hohenfels, Germany and Nuremburg, West Germany. She later pursued her love of teaching as a professor at Fitchburg State University in Massachusetts, Livingstone College in Salisbury, North Carolina, and Bennett College in Greensboro. As a college administrator, she also served as a professor and Provost at Albion College in Albion, Michigan and Dean of Students at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin. She worked closely with the National Science Foundation (NSF) as both an evaluator of college programs promoting STEM programs for minorities and the initiator of the NSF funded Minority Access to Research Careers Program and Biomedical Research Support Program for women in science at Bennett College.

Left to forever cherish loving memories are: her loving sisters, Patricia Dees, Arlene Collins-Day (William), and Tina Dixon; adoring nephews and nieces, Jessica (Taron), Aaron, Learned (Amina), Michael (Andriel), Almena (Rodney), and Lauren (Reier); great and great-great nieces and nephews, Asha, Alyse, Marcellus, Chloe, Aaliyah, Jordyn, Noelle, Kalani, Justin, Dune, and Darwin; cousins, Jermel (Vinely) and Theresa Jefferson; a dear life-long companion, Dr. William C. Curtis; close friends, Clifford Curtis, Joan Williams-Thomas, and Dorothy Colson; a host of other cousins, relatives, and friends, whom she loved dearly and who loved her dearly.

A service honoring her life will be held on Saturday, January 29, 2022, at 1 PM at Cassie Coote-Brown Memorial Chapel, 909 East Market Street, Greensboro. A viewing will be held a half hour prior to the funeral service. A second service will be held on Saturday, February 12, 2022, at 11 AM at Lewis N. Watson Funeral Home, P.A., 1618 West Road, Salisbury. A viewing will be held one hour prior to the funeral service. Interment will be at Freedman’s Methodist Church Cemetery, Tyaskin.

All services will be streamed live from the funeral home websites. Professional services are entrusted to Brown’s Funeral Home and Lewis N. Watson Funeral Home, P.A.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations, in her honor, to Bennett College or St. Francis Episcopal Church in Greensboro.