Thomas Gerard Curtin Ed.D. of Concord died of metastasized prostate cancer on December 27, 2016. He was 71. He is survived by his wife, Susan, and his two step-children Jennifer Spangler of Arizona and Michael Spangler of Oregon. He leaves his sister and brother-in-law Kathleen and William Morella of Lynn, his niece and her husband Suzanne and Stephen Higham of Georgetown, his nephew William T. Morella of Nahant, and many cousins in the Boston, Chicago, and Texas areas particularly Stephen Fitzpatrick of Melrose. Born in Everett, MA and raised in Nahant by his late parents, Thomas J. and Katherine Noonan Curtin, Tom attended the Huntington Preparatory High School and then Harvard College. He received his doctorate in education from Boston University and worked as a guidance counselor for thirty-nine years at Concord-Carlisle Regional High School. Tom was proud of his service to the students and families of Concord, Carlisle and Boston. He highly valued the importance of experiential learning, community service, and active citizenship, and he initiated a variety of innovative programs. In the summer of 1969, Tom chaired a workshop of teachers that led to the formation of the Cooperative Education Program at CCHS. The program had three components: work experience, tutoring, and community service. For its first year, Tom oversaw CCHS students who tutored at the Concord Middle and elementary schools. While community service has had many iterations in the subsequent forty-five years, it began with this summer workshop. Another innovative program started by Tom was Africa '73. With math teacher John Eton, Tom organized an Outward Bound-style trip to Ghana for fifteen CCHS students. Students raised funds for the group and had an educational program throughout the year. In the early 1970s Tom began forty years of alumni service to Harvard College. He was president of the Harvard Club in Concord for seven years, managed alumni interviewing for several years, and was an interviewer for Harvard College for over thirty years. The Harvard Alumni Association awarded him the Outstanding Club Contribution Award and the Harvard College Admissions Office awarded him the Hiram Hunn Schools and Scholarship award. When Nashoba Cable came to Concord in 1985, Tom and Susan joined the first class available to members of the community. They produced a video documenting Concord's 350th celebration. They also produced a number of videos for the school system that were well received. Tom and Jic Davis's video, "Teachers Are People Too," came in first in the MA Community Cable competition. Tom, Susan and Jic's video, "Hiroshima: City of Remembrance," came in second in another competition. The Hiroshima video was used in the Concord Middle School Japan curriculum and in some CCHS sophomore English classes. Tom also served for six years on Concord's first cable committee. In the 1970s and 1980s Tom served on the Concord Town Donations Committee, the Concord-Carlisle Human Rights Council, and the Concord-Carlisle Scholarship Fund. Starting in the 1990s, Tom began to focus on Japan-related activities. On the state level he was a member and president of the MA-Hokkaido Association. His role in the 2015 25th Anniversary of the MA-Hokkaido Sister State Relationship was recognized by Hokkaido Governor Harumi Takahashi. Tom was chairman of the Concord Nanae Network (CNN), Concord's sister city relationship with Nanae, Hokkaido, since its founding in 1995. Nanae has sent annual delegations to Concord in October for twenty-two years. Retired CCHS band director Al Dentino and Tom put together student concert band trips to Hokkaido and Nanae in 1998, 2004, 2007, and 2010. Approximately 350 students had extraordinary musical, cross-cultural, and interpersonal experiences that included home stays in Sapporo and Nanae. Tom also organized and led four summer CCHS and CPS teacher trips to Nanae that furthered the relationships between the elementary schools of Concord and Nanae. In the fall of 2016, Tom's statewide and Concord achievements were recognized by Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs with a prestigious Commendation for "furthering of mutual understanding between Japan and the United States of America." He was also commended by the town of Nanae for his years of service and friendship. On December 2, 2016, on behalf of Emperor Akihito and Prime Minister Abe, the Japanese Consul-General awarded Tom the Order of the Rising Sun with Gold and Silver Rays for his many years promoting friendship between the two countries. Tom is the second Concordian to receive this award, the first being William Wheeler in the 19th century. Visiting hours will be 2:30 to 6:00p, Friday, January 13 at the Dee Funeral Home, 27 Bedford Street, Concord. The service will be on Saturday, January 14, 11:00a, Trinity Episcopal Church, 81 Elm Street, Concord. The service will be followed by a reception in the church parish hall. Burial will be private. Tax deductible donations in Tom's memory can be made to Town of Concord-Nanae Fund and sent to Town Treasurer, 22 Monument Square, Concord MA 01742.