John Curdo Obituary
He is survived by his wife of 25 years, Carol Curdo; his children, Linda Westland, Gail Mosher, and Christopher Curdo; his step-children, Leslie Polizoti, and Geoffrey Polizoti; and his grandchildren, Cliff Westland, Cora Polizoti, and Micah Polizoti.
John is the son of the late Joseph and Delia (Muise) Curdo, of Lynn, MA. He was a graduate of Lynn Technical High School, followed by his enlistment in the U.S. Army in the late 1940's. He initially trained as a watch crystal mechanic, then worked in Production Control at Honeywell in his early years. John transitioned to full-time Chess Professional (player, coach, teacher, journalist, and author), and has been awarded many citations for outstanding player achievement and excellence by the United States Chess Federation, including the Frank J. Marshall Award in 2004, and by the Massachusetts Chess Association over the years.
John enjoyed going to the gym, reading (especially adventure and biographies), doing crossword puzzles, lunches at the senior center, learning new and interesting words to use in writing and conversation, following the lives of his step-children, and, of course, studying chess.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to VNA Hospice & Palliative Care/Rose Monahan Hospice Home (https://vnacare.org/donors/ways-to-give/make-a-donation) or to the MA Chess Association (www.maca.org).
Funeral services for John will be held privately for his family, and arrangements are in the care of Britton-Wallace Funeral Home.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
michael szaban
May 7, 2023
God Bless Mr. Curdo and his friends and family. I took lessons from Mr. Curdo for a few years. He was a wonderful man and a great coach.
Michael Stephen Smith
October 22, 2022
Mr Curdo was a gentleman and a great chess player
Mike Urbonas
October 20, 2022
I am so sorry to hear of John Curdo´s passing. It was such a pleasure to have first met John at Saturday chess tournaments back in the mid 70´s (I was maybe 12 years old) and to have played him twice in the mid 80´s (I am so grateful he still had and kindly shared his copies of the game scores!).
I will remember John as a one-man dynasty of New England chess and exceptional chess player, as much as I will remember him as a calm, cool, gracious man and consummate professional.
Paul B Tomaino
October 16, 2022
John was my Board 1 chess player on my A-team when I ran the Chelmsford Chess Club in 1971-72. I had the pleasure of playing him 7 times in tournament play. I had the pleasure of chatting with him in 2004 in Miami at US Senior Open. You will be missed my friend.
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Hal Terrie (USCF Life Master; Secretary of the NH Chess Assn.)
October 10, 2022
I was very sorry to learn of the passing of John Curdo. It is the end of an era. He was the last of the great regional chess Masters of the 20th century. I personally faced him more than 100 times over the years (losing most of those games) but I was always glad to see him, both at events where I was competing and those I was organizing. He was always courteous and professional - a class act many would do well to emulate. For decades, facing him was a rite of passage for ambitious young players; watching those battles across the years was a delight. I will miss him.
Mike Bergeron
October 10, 2022
I'm very sorry to hear of John's passing. My deepest condolences to his family. I always enjoyed good conversation with John, he had a lot of great insights about many subjects.
Former chess student,
Mike Bergeron
Ashburnham, MA
George Mirijanian, program director at Wachusett Chess Club in Fitchburg Ma
October 9, 2022
The Wachusett Chess Club at Fitchburg State University extends its sincerest condolences to the Curdo family on the passing of what it considers the greatest chess player in New England chess history. John made his mark in the region by winning more chess tournaments than anyone else. His record of tournament victories is viewed as the greatest in the entire United States! His record of Massachusetts state chess championship wins is unparalleled and expected NEVER to be broken. May he rest in peace.
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