Curtis Cole Obituary

Curtis Ashley Cole

May 31, 1933 - July 17, 2025

Fresno, California - Curtis Ashley Cole, 92, of Fresno, CA, passed away peacefully at home on July 17th, 2025, surrounded by his family.

Born May 31, 1933, in New Orleans, Louisiana, to Henry and Alice (Lily) Cole, Curtis was the oldest of three children with brother, Terry, and sister, Carolyn, rounding out the family.

Curtis's father found work with Mobile Oil in McPherson, Kansas, during the Great Depression and Dust Bowl era. His mother was a school teacher. In 1942, his father being too old to go to war, was asked by the government to move to Bakersfield, California, where he continued work as a stillman for Mohawk Oil making fuel for war planes. Curtis, like his father, was a hard worker and many times had up to three jobs at a time, including paper delivery, caddying, and cutting lawns.

In Bakersfield, Curtis graduated second in his class from Garces High School. In 1951, he started a combined major program at Santa Clara University which allowed him to complete his undergraduate degree in three years, then start law school - carrying a full load in addition to seven undergrad units (or 24 units at a time!). Curtis joined ROTC to support his schooling and growing family. It was during law school that he and then-wife, Carol, welcomed daughters Cathy and Nancy.

Upon graduation, Curtis and the family moved to Oklahoma where he repaid his ROTC commitment at Fort Sill and where daughter, Leslie, was born. Curtis took the Bar exam in a busy steno pool, on base, with little preparation.

Curtis next moved his family to Merced where he worked for attorney C.J. Robinson for 15 months and his fourth daughter, Leah, was born. It was only six months before they moved to Fresno. There, he and Carol welcomed two more children, Lynda and (finally a son!) Charles.

In Fresno, Curtis started working for the firm of Stutsman, Nagel, et al. Ultimately making partner, the firm became Stutsman, Nagel, Ferrari, and Cole. Curtis and Angelo Ferrari later opened their own firm and were partners for over 20 years. In 1985, Curtis opened his own firm specializing in Workers Compensation. He was a pillar of the workers comp community, and had so much business, that he hired many other attorneys to help him do the work. At his retirement his partners included Jeff Fisher, Linda Bosquez, and Leah Cole (his fourth daughter). This law firm continues today as Cole, Fisher, Cole, O'Keefe and Mahoney, with partners Joe O'Keefe and Rachel Mahoney (granddaughter) practicing in the same building in which Curtis originally started his firm.

Curtis married his second wife, Margaret, in 1977. Margaret had been his high school sweetheart back in Garces. Curtis was divorced and Margaret's husband had died, and the two were reunited. They combined six daughters and five sons between them to become one large family. Margaret passed away in 1997. Curtis met Joyce and the two married in 2002. Joyce courageously took on his enormous family and moved from Glendale to Fresno where she made a new home and became an integral part of the family.

Curtis was the ultimate family man. He took his young family camping along the entire west coast and, eventually, bought a cabin at Shaver Lake where they had many adventures and waterskied behind a boat he bought at a police auction! Starting in 1983, he organized an annual reunion for his combined and extended family - a tradition that lasted 40 years and included such locations as Sunriver Oregon, Alisal Ranch, Lake Tahoe, Hawaii, and even a cruise!

Curtis also loved to travel the world and maintained a map with pins showing all the places they visited. It was covered with pins! After his retirement, Curtis and Joyce organized additional trips with subsets of their large family and growing complement of grandchildren for additional time together.

Curtis believed in the value of education. In addition to sitting on the Board of Fellows for Santa Clara University for many years, he set up ongoing scholarships at San Joaquin Memorial, Garces, Dominican, and Santa Clara University.

Curtis is survived by Joyce Cole, his wife of 23 years; six daughters: Cathy (& Ron) Oleson, Nancy (& Mike) Hall, Leslie (& Clyde) Von Der Ahe, Leah Cole, Lynda (& Jim) Henricy, Kathleen Schimandle (& Graham) Wright; four sons: Charles Reggio Cole, William (& Robin) Schimandle, John Schimandle, Matt (& Stella) Schimandle; 23 grandchildren: Crystal Schimandle (& Dan) Miller, Rachel Gonzalez (& Michael) Mahoney, Timothy Schimandle, Jeffrey Curtis (& Jessie) Oleson, Riley Schimandle, Iris Schimandle (& Lindsey) Mcleary, Mario Alexander (& Sandy) Gonzalez, Diane Von Der Ahe (& Mohsen) Damavand, Jon (& Amanda) Oleson, Kit Schimandle (& Michael) Villalpando, Rev. Emmett Hall, Kimmy Von Der Ahe (& Trevor) Cuthbertson, Christina Schimandle Lima, Curtis Wright, Kalani Vasquez (& Dennie) Marenco, Keoni Vasquez, Laura Hall, Logan Wright, Jamie Schimandle, Sarah Hall, Michael Hall, Nicholas Henricy, Elliott Henricy; 26 great-grandchildren: Austin Miller, Adam Miller, Allison Miller, Weston Lima, Emily Schimandle, Clayton Lima, Solstice Marenco, Grayson Schimandle, Sofia Mahoney, Bristol Lima, Madelyn Vasquez, Santiago Marenco, Jack Mahoney, Maranda Vasquez, Addison Margaret Schimandle, Max Damavand, Theo Curtis Oleson, Miles Mahoney, Brooke Damavand, Emerie Oleson, Isabel Mahoney, Penelope Wright, Simon Cuthbertson, Julian Oleson, Daniel Damavand and Mathew Gonzalez; brother Terry (& Ann) Cole; and sister Carolyn Degnin.

Curtis was preceded in death by wife Carol Cole, wife Margaret Schimandle Cole, and son James Schimandle.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Santa Clara University, 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, CA 95053. Phone: (408) 554-5405.