Players were this week mourning the death of former south-east Essex tennis stalwart Major Basil Curtis.

The 88-year-old was a leading light in the Southend & District LTA in the post-war years and was a vice-president of the association until his death.

He will be best remembered for setting up the association's summer championships, winning the men's singles in 1949.

"Basil was an accomplished tennis player -- I believe he was a national junior finalist one year -- and was well known in the area," said the association's John Innocent.

"I first met Basil at the old Southchurch Lawn Tennis Club when he was playing for the club and remember the work he did for local tennis after the war. I'm sad to hear of his passing."

Mr Curtis was born in 1915 and played for Southchurch -- now Southend Lawn -- and Thorpe Bay clubs.

He served as a major in the Army during the Second World War and retained the military title after the conflict.

He wrote a weekly tennis column for the Evening Echo's sister paper the Southend Standard in the 1950s under the byline Major Basil Curtis.

He was well known for his work for the British Heart Foundation and St Dunstan's, the organisation that helps ex-service personnel blinded while in the armed forces.

Mr Curtis was married to Vera, the sister of Lady Dot McAdden, and had two children, Peter and Janet.

Peter is now coaching tennis in Miami, Florida, and partnered Graham Stilwell to the men's doubles semi-finals at Wimbledon in 1967. Janet is now a teacher in Zimbabwe.

Mr Curtis died on May 19 and had lived for many years at Kingsbridge, Devon.

Published Thursday, June 12, 2003

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