ETS! volunteer Curtis Chapel passed away July 9, surrounded by loved ones, after battling cancer since last fall. A graduate of Garfield High School, Curtis had been a devoted activist in Seattle for over 30 years.

I had the opportunity to work with Curtis both at Eat the State! and in the Green Party of Seattle. I first met him during the Nader campaign, where he was a constant fixture in the campaign office. I have never met a more gung-ho, can-do, passionate crusader for social change. Need something done and nobody else is willing to do it? Curtis was on it.

Curtis maintained his positive, enthusiastic outlook till the end. I'll never forget the image of Curtis tabling for Eat the State! at the Alexander Cockburn talk in May. After overcoming a number of logistical hurdles just to get to the event, he was an amazing and inspiring presence. Wheelchair-bound and unable to speak at that point (he had cancer of the tongue and lymph glands), he nevertheless out-evangelized the more able-bodied ETS! volunteers, wildly waving his arms, holding a copy of the latest ETS!, and flagging down every person who entered the hall. That's Curtis. When he devoted himself to a cause, his commitment was tenacious, letting no obstacles faze him. The kind of guy you want on your side.

He'd been at it since the Vietnam years, when he chose going to jail over going to fight a war he didn't believe in. He was sentenced to five years, but was released after four months after winning a precedent-setting legal decision. He continued working for a variety of peace, social justice, and environmental causes, and was a longtime activist in the Democratic Party before switching over to the Greens.

Curtis said his jail time made it difficult to get jobs, so he became a self-employed electrician, calling his business Resistance Electric, and using the slogan "All power to the people."

My very first recollection of Curtis was at a Give-Peace-a-Dance marathon fundraiser in the early nineties. He was introduced as the number one fundraiser at the event; he described soliciting pledges from every single person in the office building where he was working as an electrician at the time. Yup, that's Curtis.

Besides his political work, Curtis was also very committed to personal growth, being active with 12-step groups and the Men's Wisdom Council in Seattle. And he loved to dance. And laugh.

Curtis believed his cancer was caused by repeated gassings he incurred while handing out literature downtown during WTO. We may never know for sure, but if anyone knows of other people who have had medical problems that could be traceable to their WTO experience, please let us at ETS! know.

Curtis is survived by his mother Julia, daughters Jessie and Julia Rose, his beloved Evelyn, and hundreds of friends.

At Curtis' request, a celebration will take place in Seattle Tuesday, July 23, 7 PM at the Seattle Labor Temple, 2800 First Ave. All who have been touched by Curtis are welcome to attend and share stories ("Curtisisms"), music (bring drums, guitars, etc.), and dance, for Curtis loved doing and sharing all these things.

If you would like to help defray caretaking costs and other expenses that were incurred on Curtis' behalf, speak with Evelyn at 206-524-9995. Donations in Curtis' memory may be directed to two of his favorite organizations: Eat the State! (PO Box 85541, Seattle WA 98145), or The Green Party of Seattle (PO Box 95515, Seattle WA 98145).