December 21, 1936 – August 24, 2024    

In the early hours of August 24, 2024, Tom Curry slipped from this world into the next, in his own bed and on his own terms. Born in Renfrew, Ontario, the second child and oldest son of Patrick and Elizabeth (Golka) Curry on December 21, 1936, he was named Thomas for both his grandfathers. His family moved several times before settling in Brockville when he was just four years old. Tom led a life of adventure, joining the Air Force at not quite eighteen, where he became a fighter cop. He met Marlene (Montgomery), the woman who would become his wife, on one of his first postings. They married in 1956 and were blessed with four children, each born in a different province. In the spring of 1968, Tom was nearly killed when the military bus he was travelling on slid off a mountain road; he suffered a head injury and crushed ankle that left him with a subtle limp for the rest of his days. Over the years, Tom turned his hand to a variety of jobs, from small business owner to long-haul trucker, milkman, taxi driver, and small-scale investor. Between postings, visits with relatives, and vacations, Tom spent many hours behind the wheel as the only driver in the family. And did he ever love to drive! Not so fond of stopping, though – he always had an ambitious schedule for those trips… get to the destination as quickly as humanly and safely as possible. His military career took the family from one coast to the other, and everywhere in between. 

In 1979, on his final posting, he and Marlene settled in their forever home in Kamloops, B.C. After retiring from the Air Force, he spent twelve years protecting the free world from the Russians as an air defence technician on the D.E.W. Line in Canada’s far north, where he developed a love for Inuit art – and taught himself latch-hook rug making. He maintained his connections to his military past as a member of the Royal Canadian Legion and later, the North Kamloops Anavets #290. He spent many hours visiting other veterans in hospital or at home, just one more chapter in a life of service. He was a decent golfer, and a dab hand at darts, both traits he passed to his son. Tom was skilled with a pool cue and, like his mother, he played a mean game of cards. They both had perfect poker faces and showed the same exuberant triumph when they revealed their winning hands. 

Tom was predeceased by his parents, Patrick in 1962 and Elizabeth in 1989, his sister Patsy Wortman in 1971, brother Chuck in 1985, sister Betty Murphy in 2000, and daughter-in-law Denise (Nicholaas) Curry in 2008. He is survived by his wife Marlene, daughter Jan (Rick Fortier), daughter Sharon (Kerry Gosling), son Bruce, and youngest daughter Lindsay. He also leaves behind four grandchildren: Amanda (Micah Sussman), Darci (Justin Gallant), Adam Fortier, and Jess Gosling, as well as three great-grandchildren, Jonathan, Aaron, and Miriam Sussman. His maternal aunt Theresa Pecoskie, older sister Marian Bradley, youngest brother Mickey, and numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews all join the family in mourning his loss. 

Tom hated being fussed over. His wish was that there be no service, but he loved a good party, so a wake for family and friends will be held in his Kamloops back yard. Marlene requests no flowers, but please feel free to make a donation to the Poppy Fund, or to your favourite charity in Tom’s memory. Drake Cremation and Funeral Services, 425 Tranquille Rd., Kamloops, have taken care of arrangements. 

• Date : 2024-08-24
• Location : Kamloops