Lula Jane Curtin Reed

1922 - 2025

Lula Jane Curtin Reed
03/21/1922 - 08/15/2025
Lula Jane Curtin Reed, a multi-generational grande dame of Houston, a matriarch, and someone who was larger than life in her faith, her travels, and her relationships-as a devoted mother, beloved grandmother, and cherished friend-passed away in peace on August 15, 2025, at the age of 103.
Born on March 21, 1922, in Houston, Texas, to Lula Yancey Lovelady Curtin and William Henry Curtin, Jane was the sister of Barbara Curtin Pace (Arthur Virgil Pace, Jr.). She attended River Oaks Elementary School, Lanier Junior High School, Lamar High School, and The Hockaday School in Dallas before attending The University of Texas at Austin, where she was a proud member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and studied history and Spanish. As a young girl, she spent happy summers at Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas, building friendships and memories that lasted a lifetime.
Jane's life was known for love, service, and resilience. She married her first husband, Benjamin Street, who was tragically killed in action while flying a B-17 over Germany during World War II. She later married Kelly Bruce Reed, with whom she shared just shy of fifty years of marriage and many joyful memories, including traveling together and spending time at their farm near Bellville, Texas.
Two of Jane's children went before her, Benjamin Street Reed and Nancy Curtin Reed. Surviving and remembering her are her son William (Bill) Curtin Reed and his wife, Andrea Vail Reed, of Houston; cherished granddaughter, Elizabeth Curtin Reed, of Houston; niece, Lila Pace Belitz, of Dallas, and her daughter Aleah; and nephew, Henry Michael Curtin (Curt) Pace, of Willis, Texas, and his son Virgil. She also loved her extended family, including Gary and Mickey Graham and family of New Jersey, Janet, widow of Mark Murdock, and family of Austin, Susan (Su) and Asche Ackerman and family, of Houston, and Flora and Robert (Bobby) Marvin and family of Austin, as well as additional family, many godchildren, and friends.
Jane was a founding and long-time member of St. John's Episcopal Church in Houston, a member of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas and the Daughters of the American Revolution, and a former member of The River Oaks Country Club and The Junior League of Houston. She volunteered as an assistant librarian at The Kinkaid School, and served in many capacities with the Junior League. She taught Sunday School with her husband Kelly and participated in a Bible study that produced three ministers. For years she owned Jane's Treasures, an antique store on the square in Bellville. She also enjoyed Texas history, reading and collecting many books on the subject.
Jane's life was also one of profound faith. After losing two children and one husband to early tragic deaths, Jane's devotion toward her Christian faith deepened, sustaining her with remarkable strength and grace. She felt called on a pilgrimage to journey to Medjugorje, Yugoslavia, during the time when the Virgin Mary was said to be appearing. Jane believed she received the Virgin Mother's blessing, and maintained a personal spiritual connection with her. Her pilgrimage, prayer life, and faith deepened the spiritual roots of her community and family.
She often said, "home is where the heart is." Her family remembers how strangers would notice the sparkle in Jane's eyes and the way she laughed with joy at family gatherings. Young children gravitated to her hugs. She was known to have the party house, hosting her children's and grandchild's friends at her pool and for painting play dates. She encouraged those around her to make others feel loved and proud. Friends know Jane was attentive and quick to meet you and counsel you in times of hardship. Though the family approach was modesty in these matters, it's worth noting for future generations that Jane's consideration of others was also lasting and practical-the kind of care that quietly ensured others' security and dignity. In her elder years, Jane delighted in her own milestone birthday parties every five years, each one a festive occasion filled with out-of-town guests. All this being said, her church devotions and magnanimity are not to understate her lively, even sometimes bawdy, sense of humor, storytelling, and adventure.
Jane loved to travel and explored much of Europe, along with memorable journeys in the Holy Land, Egypt, and Mexico. She always brought home good stories-like the time she shouted into a pub in her ancestral Ireland if there were any O'Curtains present, and, of course, found a relative. She especially treasured her trips to Hawaii and her safari adventures in Kenya and Tanzania.
Jane rendered her travels in accomplished paintings, which revealed again her love of travel, faith, and family. Her paintings-perhaps a spiritual as well as social practice-spanned subjects such as Jesus' cobblestoned walk on the Way of the Cross in the Old City of Jerusalem, Ireland's verdant hills, a vision of Mary from Medjugorje, and a leopard lazing in the safari canopy of Africa. She also painted with love family scenes at the beach, at the farm, or in the Southwest, pointing to the dappled light of God's creation, the mystery of faith, history, and the joy of spending time together.
In her final years, she was blessed with compassionate care from Ladonna's Dreamcare team of assistants, especially her devoted and loving helper LaQuita Henderson and also Timitope Esho. The family would also like to thank her dear friend Mark Crain for his weekly visits during the past year, bringing along his adorable dog, Rocky, whose presence provided Jane further joy.
A memorial service will be held at The Chapel of The Church of St. John the Divine in Houston on Friday, September 12, at 11:00am. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to The Church of St. John the Divine in Houston or a charity of your choice. Particularly, you are invited to honor Jane's Medjugorje pilgrimage with donations to reputable organizations supporting children without parental care.
Jane will be remembered for her faith, her strength, her warmth, and her ability to inspire everyone who knew her. Held in love, the memory of Jane's joyful presence, family devotion, and remarkable resilience endures in our lives and for generations to come.