Lois Curtis, the famous disability rights pioneer and activist who won a landmark civil rights case for people with disabilities, passed away earlier this week. Read on to know how did Lois Curtis die, what happened to her, and what was the cause of her death.
Curtis played the plaintiff in a civil rights case that provided people with disabilities and older people the right to live outside of institutions and in their own homes. She was a bright soul loved by everyone who knew her.
Who was Lois Curtis?
Lois Curtis was a disability rights activist and advocate who was among the plaintiffs in the 1999 Supreme Court case Olmstead v. L.C. which established the right of individuals with disabilities and older people to live outside of institutions and in their own houses.
Curtis herself had an intellectual disability and was diagnosed with mental illness. She met attorney Sue Jamieson around three decades ago and kept asking when she could get out. In 1999, the Supreme Court ruled the case in her favor.
Led by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the jury decided that Curtis, her co-plaintiff Elaine Wilson, and other people with disabilities had a right- under the Americans with Disabilities Act- to live in a “less restrictive setting.”
This etched Curtis’ name in history books. Apart from that, she was also a talented artist who made pencil and pastel drawings of animals and flowers. She also drew pictures of people sometimes.
How did Lois Curis die?
Lois Curtis died on Thursday, November 3, 2022, at her home. She was 55 years old. Curtis was surrounded by many of those friends whom she made with her art and abilities at the time of her death.
Curtis passed away a decade after meeting then-President Barack Obama at the White House. She presented him with the “Girl in an Orange Dress” picture in 2011. It was one of a series of self-portraits Curtis did of herself as a young girl.
Lois Curtis dead at 55: What was the cause of her death?
Lois Curtis died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 55 years. She passed away earlier this week after a long battle with the condition. For context, it’s the cancer of the pancreas and it is often fatal due to its late diagnosis.
The late diagnosis is a result of mild to low signs and symptoms. It’s unknown when Curtis was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She also suffered from a number of other conditions. However, the former became the eventual cause of her demise.
Lois Curtis Obituary and Funeral Details
The funeral arrangements of Lois Curtis are pending at the time of this writing alongside an official obituary. We are trying to get in touch with the people close to her to find more information about those.
The details about Curtis’ biological survivors are not known at this time. However, the pioneering woman will forever be remembered for changing lives of thousands of people with disabilities.
Our deepest condolences go out to the people close to her. May God let her soul rest in peace.