Curtis Lee Best August 5, 1947 – March 16, 2025 New Haven, Connecticut · Bluntas, St. Elizabeth Parish, Jamaica, W.I. Curtis Lee Best, of New Haven, Connecticut, was born on August 5, 1947, to the late Johnnie Edward Best, Sr. and Frances Scott Best. He was the youngest brother to Johnn ie Best, Jr. (Shelia), and the late Joan Patricia Spence (late Willie Spence). Curtis passed from this life having done what very few people truly master: he made every room feel like home, and every person in it feel like they belonged. To know Curtis was to feel welcomed. To spend time with him was to leave a little lighter than when you arrived. He built a steady career as a telephone repair technician with Western Electric and ATT, a role that reflected the qualities he carried in everything he did: reliability, and a pride in doing the job right. But ask anyone who loved him, and they will tell you his greatest accomplishments were not professional; they were personal. Curtis lived for the gathering. Whether it was in New Haven, the Bronx, or in Jamaica, if Curtis was hosting, people came. He had the rare gift of keeping a conversation going and making sure no one ever felt like an outsider. He was stubborn, yes, and strong willed to his core, but he was equally empathetic and soft for the people he loved. He could meet a cashier and within five minutes that person felt like a lifelong friend. He could drive down a road in Jamaica and hear his name called out from every direction. That was Curtis. That was just who he was. He had a signature look that was entirely his own: dark shades, a strong mustache, and later a solid-color-fitted hat picked up from the Boulevard Flea Market to match whatever he had on. When he got his big red Ford F-250, that truck became part of his identity. He kept it immaculate, loved watching Kyplin or Opal get behind the wheel, and made sure everyone knew he had personally taught them, along with Keturah, how to drive a stick shift. He wore that distinction with pride. Few things brought Curtis more joy than watching his family grow and achieve. He bragged on them without apology. Kyplin joining the Army, Opal becoming a registered nurse, Keturah serving as a respiratory therapist across multiple hospitals, and Brian completing his CDL training. He kept track of every milestone and made sure the people around him knew about it. His family was his greatest source of pride. When the F-250 was eventually sold, his next great source of pride took root on Jamaican soil. He and Keturah built their house in Jamaica from the ground up. It was not just a home. It was a legacy. He made that clear to everyone in the family, and it stands today as a testament to everything he worked for and everything he wanted to leave behind. Every time a family member walked out the door, Curtis had a send-off: “Don’t take no wooden nickels.” Nobody ever asked him to explain it. Nobody needed to. It was Curtis saying be smart, be sharp, take care of yourself. It was love in his own language. Through every chapter, through his vices and his victories and whatever his health may have been, Curtis always made one thing unmistakably clear: he loved Ket, he loved his family, and he loved the life they built together. He will be deeply missed. He will never be forgotten. He Is Survived By His beloved wife, Keturah Elonore Best His children, Brian Lewis (Alexis), Curtis Kyplin Best (Iveliss), and Renée Opal Byam (Lamar) His grandchildren, Leah Best, Cristian Ortiz, Lennox Byam, Lincoln Byam, Bryan Lewis, Ciera Lewis, Ann’Liz Lewis, Gia Lewis, Jayeshon Lewis, Jayleigh Lewis His great-grandchild, Jaylen Delacruz  His brother, Johnnie Best (Shelia) As well as a host of nieces and nephews, devoted community of extended family, dear friends, and cherished neighbors across New Haven, the Bronx, and Jamaica, West Indies. “Don’t take no wooden nickels.” Curtis Lee Best, to everyone he loved. The post Curtis Lee Best, 77 appeared first on New Haven Independent. ...read more read less