It is with great sadness that Curtain Bluff reports the death of its owner and founder, Howard Hulford. Aged 86, he passed away Monday morning, March 9, 2009 at Adelin Clinic on Antigua, the island he had called home for the last 50 years.

Howard was a character as colorful as the shirts he wore. Anyone who met him -- even for the briefest time -- will remember him as forthright and opinionated, insightful and generous, with a heart big enough to envelope not just his family, friends, employees and the guests of Curtain Bluff but the rest of the island as well. Dismissive of his own achievements, he has helped hundreds of strangers and touched the lives of thousands, from the powerful to the young, who knew him simply as Uncle Howard. His out-sized character and enthusiasm for life will be sorely missed.

Howard grew up in Montvale, New Jersey and later Westwood.  At the beginning of  World War II he left Cornell University and joined the Military.  He became a pilot in the U.S. Air Force and served in the Pacific flying P47 and P51 Missions.  After the war he returned to Cornell in the Hotel School.  After University he continued serving in the National Guard and doing test flying eventually this led to becoming an Executive Pilot.  He flew the Chairman of the Board of Texaco and later the Chairman of the Board of  General Electric, Mr. Phillip Reed.  Mr. Reed was a founding member of the Mill Reef  Club in Antigua and Howard decided to look for personal property on the island.  He applied for the site in Old Road Village, but the Government would not lease the land to him for a personal dwelling, but was willing to do so for a hotel development, and so the agreement was made and after much communication with Government and elders of Old Road he opened Curtain Bluff in February of 1962…..and the rest is history.  Through this connection he became active in the Caribbean Hotel Association, was voted Hotelier of the year, was an active member in the American Hotel Association resort Committee.  Last year Sir Howard was knighted by the Governor General of Antigua for his community service.

One of his greatest contributions is the Old Road Fund, a not-for-profit he founded, long before the concept of sustainability was defined, to offer a helping hand to the people of Old Road, the village that borders his resort. Funded by the Hulfords and guests of the resort, the fund has spent over $1 million on medical needs and education, provided 45 young adults with a full university education and sent 150 children to tennis camp in the United States. 95% of Curtain Bluff's employees come from the village, including the general manager, comptroller and sommeliers. Last year, Howard was named Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of the Nation (KCN) for his outstanding contribution to the building of Antigua and Barbuda and to the welfare of its citizens

One reason that Curtain Bluff has been such a success is that Howard, together with his wife Chelle, ran the property like a private home. The guests were old friends, greeted at the door often by Howard himself. The weekly cocktail party wasn't in the resort's bar but in the Hulford's own villa perched on the end of the bluff. This personal welcome and caring spirit resulted in hundreds of friends of Curtain Bluff – Howard and Chelle’s “extended family” scattered around the world.

Howard is survived by Chelle, his wife of 42 years; his three children, Robin, Patty and Bruce and six grandchildren; and his Curtain Bluff family.  His legacy lives on in the spirit of all who live, work, and call Curtain Bluff their home away from home.

As was Howard’s wish, Curtain Bluff will go forward in perpetuity with the same management and staff that he has nurtured all these years.  In lieu of sending flowers, it is requested that friends and colleagues make donations to the Old Road Fund in Howard Hulford’s name (details are on the Curtain Bluff website www.curtainbluff.com).