Sunday, July 2, 2017. Dave, a gentle giant of a man, and avid collector, left the task of downsizing his collection to Angela (nee Krause), his much loved wife and secretary of 24 years and beloved daughters Melissa, Sarah and Kathrine. He is further survived by his parents Gary and Susan Curtis, his brother and #1 hearse mechanic Steve (DeAnn), his nephew Kyle, niece Kori, other family, valued in-laws and a whole bunch of customers and friends. Dave was larger than life and so will be the auction Coming Soon.
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If you are a horror enthusiast from the midwest, chances are you knew who Graveyard Dave was. Dave Curtis was a passionate collector, and was best known for being the owner and operator of Graveyard Records & Movie Maniacs in South Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The store was a slice of heaven for horror fanatics. It was packed floor to ceiling with gruesome props, action figures and collectibles. There were screen worn costumes, magazines, music, movies and so much more. Best of all, there was Dave... behind the counter. Even if you were only planning to go there for a quick stop, you were probably going to end up spending a few hours instead, talking and laughing with Dave. Whether you were old friends or you just met him for the first time, he was always funny, friendly and engaging.
Maybe you were lucky enough to go to some of the in-store autograph signing events he organized featuring Gunnar Hansen RIP (1974 Leatherface), Doug Bradley (Pinhead), Betsy Palmer RIP (Jason's Mom in Friday the 13th part One), and Ari Lehman (Jason in Friday the 13th part 1).
Even if you never made it down to Graveyard, you might have seen Dave at one of the many horror conventions in Chicago, Indianapolis or countless other cities. He was always there, and was certainly easy to pick out of a crowd. Maybe you saw him driving around Milwaukee in one of his "hauling" hearses, or cruising on his "Apecycle" (his 'Planet of the Apes'-detailed motorcycle). You may have visited his other business, Monsters Ink Tattoo & Piercing, or you may have attended 'PopCon!' in 2016 (a convention Dave organized). Dave also recorded the 'Graveyard Shift' Podcast and maintained his website for the store(s).
His unexpected death July 2, 2017 has left a painful void in the heart of all of us who loved him, and his absence will send ripples that are going to be felt throughout the horror community.
To those who knew him, we will miss his knowledge of all things horror, his always amusing stories and most of all his friendship.
Requiescat in pace, dear friend.
-Angie, Jeff, Jenny, Jason, Ben, Jessica, Ashley, and Erich
