Roy Lee Curry Sr.
April 13, 1929 – September 19, 2016
BOWIE – Roy Lee Curry Sr., 87, passed away Sept. 19, 2016 in Bowie, TX.
A memorial service will be at 1 p.m. Sept. 22 in the chapel of The White Family Funeral Home of Bowie.
Roy was born April 13, 1929, near Hollis, OK to Ernest and Tommye Curry, both now deceased. He was a retired educator, serving as a teacher, coach and administrator in Texas schools for 36 years before his retirement in 1986.
Roy graduated from Bowie High School in 1947. He served for three years as captain of the Jackrabbits football team and was selected to the All-District football first team for three years. The undefeated 1946 squad remains the school’s only undefeated team in history and won the regional championship. While attending Bowie High School, he met the love of his life, Becky Worley, whom he later married.
Following graduation from Bowie High School, he was awarded a full athletic scholarship at East Texas State Teachers College in Commerce, now Texas A&M University, Commerce, where he lettered in football and track. He graduated in 1951 with a bachelor of science degree in biology. In 1951, he received his master’s of education degree from Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls.
He coached at Decatur, Graham and Fort Worth. At Graham, his track teams were among the finest in the state from 1952-1956. During his tenure, Graham football teams won 85 games. His 1956 team won the district title and advanced to the state quarterfinals.
The 1963 Steers advanced to the state AAA semifinals, losing to state champion Corsicana 14-13. His 1964 Steers were tied by mighty Brownwood, then defeated district champion Wichita Falls Hirschi, a team that advanced to the AAA semifinals.
Through the years, more than 70 of his players received full college athletic scholarships, and four of Curry’s players went on to play in the National Football League.
In 1996, he was honored by his college, TAMU Commerce, receiving the outstanding coach award in the Emeritus category. In 2000, he was honored as Graham High School’s “Outstanding Coach of the Century.”
He later served in the Irving schools as an administrator for 17 years, including several years as principal of Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz High School.
Following his retirement, he and Becky moved back to Bowie. Roy served on numerous boards including president of the Bowie Chamber of Commerce, Bowie Rotary Club president, Bowie Educational Foundation president, member of the 4B Corporate board that built the college in Bowie, president of the Bowie Library Board and a member of the Bowie School Board.
In 1997, he was honored by the Bowie Chamber of Commerce as “Volunteer of the Year.” He was a member of the First Baptist Church of Bowie where he served as a teacher and as a member of the Board of Deacons for several terms.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Ernest and Tommye Curry; and brothers, Jimmy L. Curry, Dean Curry; and Barry Curry.
Roy is survived by his wife, Helen “Becky” Curry, Bowie; daughter, DiAnne Dunn and her husband, Dr. James Dunn, Bowie; son, Bronc Curry and his wife, Lisa, Grand Prairie; and grandsons, James W. Dunn and his wife, Jennifer, and Daniel W. Dunn.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Bowie Educational Foundation at P.O. Box 992, Bowie, TX 76230.
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