S. CHARLES CURRY obituary

S. Charles Curry, 80, died on Sunday, April 6, 2003, at a Kalispell medical center.

Services were Monday morning at Christ Episcopal Church in Kalispell. A private family burial followed at the Riverside Cemetery in Hamilton.

Curry was born to S. Charles and Rachel Curry in Havre on May 29, 1922. He grew up and received his education in Havre.

He joined the Civilian Conservation Corps and entered the U.S. Army in 1942, serving in Austria, France, Germany and Ireland with the 92nd Signal Battalion during World War II.

In 1946, Curry returned home and worked for the Great Northern Railway, working on the old steam engines as a fireman. He went to work for RCA at the Air Force radar base in Havre. He was transferred to Cape Canaveral in Florida, working in Mission Control during the early days of the manned space program. Curry went to work for the Department of Defense as a civilian. He was a radar engineer, traveling all the Western states and Canada.

In 1967, Curry and his family settled in Lakeside. He worked at the radar base on top of Blacktail Mountain until his retirement in 1983.

Curry received many outstanding performance awards for his work with the Air Force and Department of Defense.

Curry was active in community services. He was a life member of the Flathead County Sheriff's Posse, serving as major, vice major and captain. He was a reserve officer with the sheriff's office.

Curry served 25 years as a trustee with the Somers and Lakeside fire department; three terms on the Lakeside school board, serving as chairman; and on the Flathead Animal Control board. He was a charter member of the Lakeside Quick Response Unit, which he volunteered for 20 years and also served on the Lakeside Community Council.

He held a broker's license in real estate for the past 30 years.

Curry and his wife, Carol, spent six weeks in Africa four years ago, visiting three countries with a son and daughter-in-law. He was very proud of his family and will be greatly missed. He will be remembered for his quick wit and sense of humor, right up to the end.

Curry was preceded in death by his parents; and a brother, Phil.

Survivors include his wife, Carol Curry of Lakeside; sons, Charles P. Curry of Kalispell and Scott (Alyse) Curry of Dillon; one granddaughter; sister, Phyliss Vining of Missoula; one niece; and one nephew.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Lakeside Quick Response Unit, Box 911, Lakeside, MT 59922, or to a charity of the donor's choice.