On Tuesday, December 21 at 11a.m. Atonement Lutheran Church will hold a service of Prayer and Remembrance celebrating the life and eternal life of Isabel Curtis.

Isabel Ramos Curtis, 65, of Tampa FL passed away unexpectedly on Monday December 13, 2021. She was born on April 8, 1956 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. She immigrated to USA from Brazil in January of 1990.

She is survived by her husband Richard Curtis, son Robert Delgado, step-son Warren Curtis, step daughter Amy St. John, 6 brothers and 5 sisters. She is preceded in death by her father Joao Ramos dos Santos and her mother Delmira de Jesus Ramos.

Isabel loved her profession as a Montessori School Teacher in New Jersey where her students adored her interactive and fun teaching style. After leaving New Jersey, she was able to transfer her love of children to her many neighbors and friends. The children in the neighborhood could always be found eagerly waiting on her doorstep for cookies which she kept stocked specifically for their visits. Each year, during the holidays, she would dress as an Elf and her husband as Santa and they would give out gifts to all the neighborhood children. Then days later, she would host a magnificent Christmas party.

Isabel met her husband Richard on April 3, 1999 when they both attended a singles dance at the Shadowbrook Country club in Tinfalls, NJ. They danced the night away! On their first date Richard took Isabel to a car show and the Empire State building. On February 18, 2000 they were married. Rich and Isabel enjoyed 21 years together, traveling, dancing, gardening and spending time with friends and family and living life to the fullest.

Isabel was a tireless gardener and would spend hours outside planting and maintaining her garden. It was beautifully maintained with her remarkable green thumb. At Christmas her home was always meticulously decorated, each year different but equally fabulous.

Isabel was beautiful, energetic, vibrant, outgoing, thoughtful and the life of every party! She was the first to show up for a friend or neighbor in need and was considered a friend to all those who were fortunate enough to know her.

Isabel was a devout Christian who read her bible in Portuguese each night before bed. John 14:2 promises, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.”

Isabel will be forever missed, but we rejoice in knowing that she is dancing in heaven.