Reba Belle Curtis

Reba Belle Curtis, 75 of Gulf, passed away Tuesday April 14, 2026. A funeral service will be held on Tuesday April 21, 2026, at 1:30pm at St. Stephen Catholic Church in Sanford, NC. Committal will follow in the church cemetery.

Reba was a loving wife, mother, sister, and friend who touched many lives with her kindness. She lived life on her own terms and stood by her family no matter what. She was very proud of her children Anna, Buddy, James and Shaurell who Reba adopted and cared for her entire life. She raised three mixed children during a time when it was not widely accepted and stuck by her children fiercely. One powerful example: she once told off critics and said “I love who I love” showing her strong, independent spirit. She has a special connection with her children through shared interests like Boy Scouts, stamp collecting, modeling, and more.

Born in 1951, she grew up in Washington DC and attended Frank W. Ballou High School. She worked for the U.S. Department of Transportation, Woodward & Lothrop, and a catering company (Design Cuisine) as an office manager. Later she became self-taught in the computer software industry and ran her own company, Complete Software Support. As a child her favorite hobby was drawing and she even won an award for best picture. She loved collecting Limoge Blue pottery, Swarovski Crystals, Dresden Porcelain, and Armani Statues. She enjoyed crocheting blankets, tablecloths, dresses for dolls, and many more items. She also enjoyed gardening and collecting coins.

With Ray, Reba developed a love of Salukis, a very unique breed of dog. They managed the largest historical rescue of Salukis in the U. S. As a part of that a message from a close friend in the Saluki community wrote: “Let no one forget, it was she who enabled the Saluki community to close down a well-known chronic Saluki hoarder! She and Ray infiltrated and worked with authorities to get the Salukis who were horribly kept, to new homes. They were very brave. Reba was a great and memorable character in my life. I was happy to at least be able to share time with her.”

She was a devoted mother and wife. She survived and was strengthened by her great husband, Ray Dombkiewicz, whose faith and patriotism rounded out this beautiful woman. She leaves behind her children Anna, Buddy, James and Shaurell; 9 biological grandchildren; and 4 great grandchildren.

Memorial contributions can me made in her honor to

Saluki Tree Of Life Alliance, Inc, at

https://www.paypal.com/donate?token=U1nC7pdlQe52h4krO4BjSZYJcR5ygyiS1Kwva1jMSsiG8Rd-I97l5MnFdZinQR3M39VuF5NpVFct38kB

or to

the American Cancer Society, at

American Cancer Society/?amount=100&campaign=hopelodgelightbox&lang=e">https://American Cancer Society/?amount=100&campaign=hopelodgelightbox&lang=e