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02/01/2017 07:00 AMCurt Andrews, Sr., has lived in North Haven for close to 83 years. He grew up watching his grandfather and father serving on a variety of boards and commissions in town. Once Curt was old enough, he also got involved.
“I love the town,” says Curt. “It’s really not a burden. It’s extremely important because you get to know the working of the committees in town and know exactly what’s going on.”
Curt’s family has a rich local history as his mother was a Davenport, a descendant of John Davenport, the founder of New Haven. His grandfather owned a brick company that supplied the bricks to many area homes.
“The company was the town’s largest taxpayer at the time and they wanted to protect their taxes,” says Curt. “My family—my grandfather, father, son, and myself—have been involved in boards and commissions continuously from the turn of the century.”
Curt attended the Center School and Moses Brown School in Providence, Rhode Island, before studying finance and business at Nichols College.
Curt has not only served the Town of North Haven. He has also served his country. He is an Army veteran, serving in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the Korean Conflict. Curt spent two years in England as one of 100 in a special category army with the Air Corps. Ever since joining the service in 1954, Curt has been an active blood donor.
Over his years in North Haven, Curt has seen many changes. He remembers when the population was around 5,000 people—the town now has close to 25,000 residents. He has two sons and a daughter, as well as 11 grandchildren.
“A lot has changed over the years,” says Curt. “I’m very happy with how the town is run. It’s a great town.”
After his time in the service, he worked as a salesman for the brick company before taking over Andrews and Blakeslee Insurance, a company started by his grandfather.
Curt ran the business for 50 years before selling the company and retiring. During that time, he was involved with the New Haven Insurance Association. While Curt is retired from his career in insurance, he is not done working.
He has been married to his wife Jane for 13 years. After they met and Curt learned about her career as a real estate agent, he decided to also pursue real estate and is now a licensed agent with Coldwell Bankers Residential Services in North Haven. In addition to selling real estate, he and his wife also work at the Mary Wade Home in New Haven where he escorts residents to medical appointments at doctors’ offices and hospitals.
“It was founded in the 1860s after the Civil War for widows of the war,” says Curt. “I don’t drive, but ride with them. I’m having a ball and meeting a lot of people. I enjoy people. It’s great to be working with older people like that, like me.”
Curt hasn’t stopped volunteering his time, either. For the past several years, he has been the secretary of the Planning & Zoning Commission.
“It’s an elected position and my background in insurance and real estate helps,” says Curt, who is also a current member of Murray Reynolds Post 76 and the Corinthian Lodge.
Curt has served the town in many capacities over the years. He was a member of the Board of Education as was his father and grandfather. He is a 70-year member of the North Haven Congregational Church and a lifetime member of the historical society.
In the 1960s, Curt was a fire commissioner, at one point serving at the commission’s secretary. At the time, the organization was all volunteer and Curt saw the department through the transition to a paid department. He was also on the building committee for North Haven Fire Department’s fire headquarters and served on the New Haven County Fire Commissioners Association.
Curt was involved in many different aspects of volunteering in the town from government to sports to education. He served as the secretary of the North Haven Republican Town Committee and the treasurer of the North Haven Public Health Association (now the Quinnipiac Valley Health District). He is a past member of the North Haven Cemetery Association, the South Central Regional Planning Agency, and the Board of Trustees of Hamden Hall Country Day School. He was also a founding member and treasurer of the North Haven Midget Football League.
Curt was a member of the North Haven Rotary Club for many years, at one point serving as the president. He remembers sponsoring a North Haven student to travel abroad.
“It was one of the first things we did and now it’s a common thing,” says Curt, who was also a mason. “That program was in its infancy then.”
Even though Curt is now nearly 83 years old, he has no plans of slowing down. He encourages others to get involved in town, as well.
“I try to keep busy and be on the move as much as I can, enjoying life and enjoying people,” says Curt. “With my family, everyone has always been involved. It’s important for everybody to somehow get involved in town ventures.”