PART 5: Turning Loss into Life: A Pierre Curtis Story
March 4, 2010 • By Tim Chapman, The Breeze
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Part Five: Toughing it out with a smile, just like mom
A new child meant more work over the summer for JMU senior Pierre Curtis and his girlfriend Rashonda Roberson. Pierre worked at UREC. Rashonda, a 2009 JMU graduate, started back at Old Navy, though she hopes to pursue a career in social work.
“A lot of people get to have fun in the summer,” Pierre says. “I didn’t. I want to say I lived the real-world life. Shonda… she worked up until she had to stop working and she took the time off and now she’s working again. We do things that are necessary. There’s times when we don’t have any money at all, but we have enough money to take care of Sydney. We have enough money to give her formula or pay for her daycare.”
Rashonda has also made her share of sacrifices, including losing her senior season of track and field. She draws comfort in their relationship as parents, knowing Pierre never shirks his responsibilities.
“I think he sees it as there are a lot of dads out there that aren’t there, but since he is here, he pretty much makes sure he’s involved in everything,” she says. “Compared to a lot of dads his age I’ve seen around, he does a lot more, he’s a lot more involved. He pretty much knows everything: diaper changing and middle-of-the-night wakeups even though he still has class in the morning.”
At times Pierre and Rashonda make it sound easy, but there is nothing routine about 22-year-olds when they face unexpected pregnancy. They were worried. Pierre doesn’t have the time for a job while being a full-time student-athlete. Athlete alottment checks are not exactly geared toward helping support children. (Athletes living off campus receive scholarship money to pay for housing and groceries.) Pierre described Rashonda as “not rich” and due to his mother’s death and having an estranged father he doesn’t have the financial support that so many students enjoy.
“Financially, there’s a lot of people that are hurting right now,” he says. “So, for me to bring a child into this world when I don’t have any financial means necessary, I was kind of nervous. But I mean, you go out there and do what you have to do.”
A healthy Sydney Denise Curtis was born on May 1, 2009. Scouring over baby books, they decided on Sydney over any family specific name. The middle name was an easy choice; it is only fitting that Carolyn, Pierre’s mother, and Sydney be tied together beyond sharing Pierre’s blood.
“I just felt like my mom was such a big part of my life and she’ll never get to see her grandma that would’ve spoiled her like crazy,” Pierre says.
Pierre’s Circle of Trust
As he lounges in his comfortable black JMU Basketball jumpsuit, Pierre is at ease talking about his daughter, his mother and basketball. But don’t be fooled. He isn’t this open. Not everyone gains access to his thoughts. As one close friend describes it, Pierre has a “circle of trust.”
The circle idea comes from Rob Carson, the assistant director of JMU Student Athlete Services. Carson and his wife Jackie Smith Carson have been close with Pierre since he first enrolled at JMU. Rob got to know Pierre through academic support, Jackie through seeing Pierre around the Convocation Center. Jackie describes Pierre as outgoing and says he always introduces himself to the female recruits, creating a welcoming environment on first visits. Rob, who considers Pierre a little brother, also describes Pierre as “very personable.” Still, Rob knows that Pierre just likes to keep his circle small.
Pierre Curtis is exactly how they describe him. He is personable. He is outgoing. He loves interacting with fans, referees, students and just about anyone willing to crack a smile like he does. But there are reasons why his circle is small.
Pierre doesn’t talk at length about his father; he never had much of one. He keeps in touch with his three sisters, but his mother was the one true constant in his life. For a while he lived with his grandmother Norma Curtis until she died. He moved west to Denver to live with his mother in the fourth grade. Carolyn had first moved to Colorado when Pierre was 10 for better medical attention for diabetes and kidney and heart problems. Pierre followed suit shortly thereafter and described reuniting with his mom as “the best day of my life.”
“We did everything together,” Pierre discusses in almost the exact words he used in an interview more than two years ago, shortly after Carolyn’s death. “We play all types of games together. My mom taught me how to play any game imaginable. We would just sit in the house and just play games. I would just have fun. She was my best friend.”
Listening to him rave about this beautiful person inspires. Carolyn beat doctor’s predictions by six years. It is easy to see why his circle is small. Before and aftershocks left him with even fewer family members to turn to.
Never ending obstacles
Earlier that year his paternal grandfather, Jimmy Bailey, 77, passed away. Pierre was close with his grandfather despite having little relationship with his father. He hasn’t spoken to his father since the funeral.
The day after Carolyn’s death, Pierre’s cousin and God-brother, Donnell Easterling, 27, died in a car accident as he rushed home from Wisconsin to be with the family. Pierre sketched the initials of Carolyn and Donnell on his purple and white Nike game sneakers.
Rashonda, and best friend and teammate Juwann James were closest to Pierre at the time. Pierre and Juwann (’09) were inseperable during their three years together. All of his teammates and coaches rallied to his side, offering support, as Pierre contemplated not playing basketball that season. Women’s basketball coach Kenny Brooks also played a key role in offering support. A former JMU player himself, Brooks had been, like Pierre, a skinny guard. The two began referring to each other as “twin” when Pierre was a freshman.
With encouragement from Brooks and others, Pierre went on to play that season, but more members of the circle would be leaving after another disappointing campaign for the Dukes. Fourth-year coach Dean Keener resigned amid pressure, finishing 35-81 in his tenure and extending the losing ways to eight straight years. Pierre took this hard; Keener had earned his mother’s trust. She hadn’t let her son move across the country on a whim.
Carolyn was a “wonderful lady,” Keener said in 2007. “One of those people that you would say, ‘If you had a problem with her, then you had a problem.’ She always had a smile on her face.”
Yet again, Pierre was tested. Like his mom, he’s tough. He deals.
contact Tim Chapman at breezeeditor@gmail.com
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