Dr. William Ames Curtright

1943 - 2019

Dr. William Ames Curtright

Turner - June 26, 1943 - March 6, 2019 Dr. William Ames Curtright, DBA passed away in the early morning of March 6, 2019, at the age of 76. William was born in Hawthorne, California to Elaine Fern Ames Thieman and George Curtright. He was raised in Portland, Oregon from a young age and considered Oregon his home. He married the love of his life, Dama Lou Gourley Curtright on July 26, 1987 in Salem, Oregon.

Dr. Ames was a true Renaissance man. He was a manufacturer, business owner, scientist, Vietnam War Veteran, conservationist, inventor and former teacher.

Dr. William Ames Curtright founded Ames Research Laboratories, Inc. of Salem, Oregon. "Ames" as he liked to be called was the first in the industry to invent the first white roof coating system, marketed thru the retail hardware channel, called "Snow Roof" in 1982, when he formulated reacted polymers in his kitchen looking to find a replacement for asphalt tar.

In 1998, He sold his first company, Oregon Research and Development, keeping his sister company Ames Research Laboratories, Inc. and developed a revolutionary line of water-proof coatings for commercial, industrial, and residential applications. Ames products are stocked in over 15,000 retail locations throughout the US, Canada, and the Caribbean.

Dr. Ames is a direct descendent of the Ames family of Massachusetts, which has played a significant roll in American History. Many of the founders of America were from the Ames family and the first puritans to arrive in America. To honor his family heritage Dr. Ames founded the Ames Shovel Museum in North Easton, Massachusetts at the Stone Hill College with Father Bartley McFadden.

Dr. Ames family has a remarkable historical list of ancestors. Dr. Ames great, great, great grandfather in 1774 founded the first shovel company in America. Congressman Fisher Ames penned the First Amendment of the Constitution and gave the Eulogy for George Washington. Representative Oaks Ames was asked by President Lincoln to build the Union Pacific railroad. The town of Ames, Iowa began as a railroad depot and was named after Oaks Ames. Senator Oliver Ames became the president of the Union Pacific Railroad and his son, Oaks Ames became the Governor of Massachusetts.

Dr. Ames was the Founder and Host of Ames' "Gathering of the Eagles," which brought Tea Party leaders together in unity for a common purpose of uniting man with God and renewing patriotism for America. Ames believed that America must return to the basic foundations of our Constitution.

Dr. Ames for pleasure wrote, Advertorials for the Washington Times and had several articles published. His last article was "Give Us Liberty Instead of Treason," which appeared in January 2018. Other articles included, "Three Prayers for the Sake of North Korea," "Talking with the spirit of God," and "Wake up America!"

Ames was a U.S. Delegate at the 2017, 2018, and 2019 International Leadership Conference and International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace in Korea.

Dr. Ames, along with his good friend Tom Delay walked the halls of Congress with Janet Porter in Washington, D.C. to talk the talk with the GOP to support the Heartbeat Bill.

He was a three-time Republican primary gubernatorial candidate for the State of Oregon.

He was a gold member of the Council for National Policy (CNP) which is an organization and network group for social conservative Christians seeking to strengthen the political right in the United States.

Dr. William Ames Curtright is proceeded in death by his mother Elaine Fern Ames Thieman and his father George Curtright and leaves behind his sister Ruth Coen, brothers Rick and David Curtright, many beloved nieces and nephews, along with his wife Dama Lou Curtright.

Ames graduated from Benson Polytechnic High School, and obtained a degree from George Fox University and an Honorary Doctorate in Business Administration from Rievera University.

March 15, 2019 a grave side service will be held at Odd Fellows Cemetery, Lebanon, Oregon 97355 (541-451-1114) and at 1:00 pm a funeral service will be held at the Salem First Baptist Church of Salem 395 Marion St. NE, Salem, Oregon 97301 (503) 364-2285.

Contributions in lieu of flowers:

Sonshine Christian School, 395 Marion St NE, Salem, OR 97301