Curtis Michael Vance

Curtis Michael Vance, an experienced and dedicated law enforcement officer who rose to the top of his field in a variety of roles from patrol officer to investigator and instructor, died unexpectedly of natural causes at his home on March 18, 2025. He was 52.

Curt served 28 years as a police officer, beginning his career with the Hastings, Nebraska, Police Department and spent more than two decades with the Overland Park, Kansas, Police Department (OPPD), handling every assignment with professionalism and passion. That eventually included involvement with a task force that partnered with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Through the years, it became clear that he was naturally drawn to investigative police work. A class act in every aspect, he also became a dedicated friend and mentor in law enforcement, passing along his knowledge, skills and patience to the next generation. Curt co-taught classes on Interview and Interrogation and Terrorism. He regularly volunteered as an Evaluator for recruits on their scenarios, assisting in situational scenes, mentoring and sharing his expertise.

He was a member of the Metro Squad Team, a special group of investigators and detectives hand-selected by their departments to be available for major cases throughout the Kansas City metropolitan area.

Curt was born Oct. 27, 1972, to Don Vance and Melinda Lorenzen at Fort Ord in California. He moved with his family to Grand Island, Nebraska, as a young child, and graduated from Grand Island Senior High in 1991. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from the University of Nebraska at Kearney in 1995, he joined the Hastings Police Department the following year, serving as a patrol officer, police motorcycle officer, field training officer, police supervisor and instructor in emergency motor vehicle operations.

Curt met Tabby Spitz in 2000, they were married in 2002 and moved to Olathe, Kansas. They had two sons. AJ was born in 2004, and Zachary in 2007.

At OPPD, his role continuously evolved. He was a patrol officer, school resource officer, field training officer, evidence technician, arson investigator, gang intelligence officer, emergency motor vehicle operator, interview and interrogation instructor. He also had additional training and expertise in online/social media investigations.

A devoted husband and father, Curt was known for taking his family on adventures. He loved traveling, boating, kayaking, fishing with the boys, doting on his wife and cooking for his family and friends. Over the years, he helped lead Cub Scouts, including Pinewood Derby races. He discussed his love of history with his family, watched all the Star Wars and Marvel Comics movies with his boys and loved hanging out with them. He hunted with AJ and watched him play hockey. He passed on his love of cooking to Zachary. He mentored them and their friends through many questions and situations, and proudly supported his favorite sports teams, including Kansas City Royals, Las Vegas Raiders, Chicago Blackhawks, Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Nebraska Cornhuskers, while also finding time for gardening and woodworking projects.

During college at UNK, Curt became part of a tight-knit group of friends who had bonded since 1990. They became known as the Dome Crew, named for their off-campus house, The Dome. It was famous for social gatherings, backyard volleyball games, and a custom bar hand-built by Curt himself. Over the decades, that brotherhood grew stronger through weddings, births, graduations, and vacations. A source of immense pride for Curt was the Dome Football League (DFL), a fantasy keeper league the friends started 28 years ago. Curt and Tabby hosted many draft-day parties at their home, and Curt was the reigning four-time champion of the DFL, a league record.

His passion for life was evident to all. He was a master of the kitchen, the backyard grill and the tailgate party, hosting friends at home and celebrating with them in the parking lot of his beloved Kansas City Royals. As a life-long Oakland / Los Angeles / and now Las Vegas Raiders fan, he proudly flew his Raider flag and wore his Raider clothing in the heart of Kansas City. He shared his love of Metallica with everyone around him, often playing their music from his 2014 Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail motorcycle for all to hear as he rode around town.

Curt loved to spend weekends at the lake boating with his family and close friends. He was also a proud member of the Average Joes, a Wednesday night bowling league that he loved and participated in for the past 10 years.

His sense of humor ran the gamut from sharp and intellectual to slapstick. He loved comedy movies ranging from Monty Python classics to 80’s and 90’s comedies starring Jim Carey, John Belushi, John Candy and Adam Sandler. Curt had the ability to make everyone laugh with a simple look or sentence, and his laugh was infectious.

He is preceded in death by his mother Melinda Zabloudil, sister Tonya Pedersen, mother-in-law Liana Spitz, as well as his grandparents.

He is survived by his wife Tabetha Vance; sons AJ (20) and Zachary (17); father Don (Jeanne) Vance; stepfather Dennis Zabloudil; siblings Tammy (Marty) Scarborough, Rob (Kim) Willson, Shane (Rajean) Vance, DJ (Bethany) Vance, Tim (Lisa) Vance, and Mindy (Matt) Heusinkvelt; father-in-law Jim Spitz (Linda); and sisters-in-law Kris (Ellis) Tinsley and Bobbi (Greg) Schomburg.

He also will be missed by many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, as well as other relatives and many friends.

Curt’s legacy is a devoted, proud and loving family man, an exceptional detective, and a cherished friend. He was a blessing to his Brothers on the Police Force and to his Brothers in the Dome Crew, all of whom loved him dearly.. He lived a life marked by unwavering faith, humility with purpose, and his absence will be deeply mourned by all who knew him.

Answering the Call 911 (atc911.org), a local charity that assists families of law enforcement in crisis, has established a "Vance Family Fund." Below are the various ways you can make a donation to assist Curtis' family. Please take some time to remember Curtis and his family. Thank you for your generosity. Rest in peace, brother.

Donations to the Vance Family Fund can be made at any Public Safety Credit Union branch. The community will have to tell the branch associate they would like to make a donation under the Answering the Call nonprofit, specifically for the "Vance Family Fund" where the memorial fund has been set up.

Answering the Call has established a link and QR code via our PayPal account for the Vance Family Fund. I've listed the generated link and QR code that will direct the public to this specific account.

Venmo:

To leave a special message for his family or to share a memory of Curt, please visit the guestbook below.