Thomas Curtean, 93, passed away peacefully into eternal life on July 27, 2021 at home in Chicago, surrounded by his loving and beloved wife Nina and stepson Gabriel, in whose hearts he will always remain. Memory eternal.

Born in Sibiu, Romania on March 17, 1928 to father Toma and mother Maria Curtean, Thomas immigrated to the U.S.A. as a young man in 1947 to find the FREEDOM to achieve his dreams through hard work and perseverance in this LAND OF OPPORTUNITY. And that he did! In 1957, Thomas became a member of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, which he came to think of fondly as his second home. In 1964, he also became a member of the Chicago Board of Trade. How proud he was to be a part, and remain a member to his very last day, of these two important Chicago institutions! Through to the very end, Thomas remained deeply grateful to his wonderful adopted country and magnificent city that gave him his chance to have a wonderful life.

Meanwhile, he never forgot his roots and the place where he was born, the great city of Sibiu. Over the course of many years, he helped very many there in whatever ways he could. And then, when the opportunity arose, he brought to bear his vast professional knowledge and experience, as well as financial support, in being instrumental in founding Romania’s very first commodity futures exchange in Sibiu. In 1998, in recognition of this accomplishment, the city of his birth gave him the title of Honorary Citizen.

Thomas’s generous heart and extensive and valuable contributions to so many throughout a long life of personal and professional accomplishments will be sorely missed and never forgotten by all those whose lives he touched in ways big and small, friends both in Romania and the U.S. and his colleagues at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and Chicago Board of Trade.

Interment, in accordance to Thomas’s wish, will take place at the Municipal Cemetery in Sibiu, Romania, next to his beloved father, mother, and sister.