Justin Richard Curry, Jr., 88, passed away on March 18, 2021.  Justin was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts on November 25, 1932 and grew up in Andover, Massachusetts with his parents (Justin and Alma), and his two brothers (older brother Henry and younger brother Jim).

Justin loved art, music, sports, and his family.  The story goes that going into high school he purposely failed the entrance exam to Phillips Andover so that he could attend the public school because he liked the art teacher.  He played football in high school and was a member of “The Dukes.”  From what Justin said, The Dukes smoked cigarettes and had fun playing cards during class by using their shoes to pass the cards to each other.

Justin served in the Navy from 1952 to 1954.  He earned his Bachelor’s of fine arts from the Boston Museum School / Tufts University in 1958 and won the William Page two-year scholarship in painting from the Museum School that allowed him to travel throughout Italy and Europe in the late 50s.  In 1962 Justin earned his Master’s in fine arts from Tulane University in New Orleans where he also cultivated his love of jazz music and French food.  

Justin was fluent in Italian and had a working knowledge of French.  He loved all kinds of music with classical and jazz among his favorite genres.  Justin loved to read, especially Agatha Christie, Shakespeare, and Harry Potter.  He used to read to his children and grandchildren when they were little and had a wonderfully rich reading voice.

In 1965 he met his wife Pauline at Moseley’s Dance Hall in Dorchester, Mass.  They married the following year in February of 1966 and had 3 children:  David, Christine, and Stephen.  Stephen lives in Northampton; David lives in Somerville with his wife Linda; Christine (Hemmings) lives in Hebron, Maine with her husband Joe and daughters Riley and Emily.

In 1971, Justin began teaching at Westfield State College and taught art for 30 years.  He and his family lived on Country Club Drive in Westfield where lifelong friendships developed with the neighbors.  Each summer, the Curry family went camping at Dolly Copp Campground in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.  In 2007, Justin and Pauline bought a piece of land nearby in Gorham, NH, and they had a traditional “barn raising” with friends and family to build a cabin on the land.  Justin and Pauline travelled to Gorham from Westfield every weekend to stay in their cabin and visit with their granddaughters.  He loved his granddaughters and enjoyed watching them grow up while spending time at their cabin together.  He wanted to hear what they were up to when he couldn’t see them and carried their latest pictures with him in his wallet at all times.

Justin and Pauline had a long-lasting and loving marriage.  After their children moved out, they spent time traveling the country together.  Justin always had a great sense of humor and loved to make silly jokes.  He kept everyone in stitches by singing his rendition of “Blood on the Saddle” around the campfire.  He was a kind and gentle man.

Justin struggled with depression, anxiety, and OCD behaviors his entire life.  Shortly after the death of Pauline, Justin was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia.  He never fully recovered from Pauline’s death.  Justin lived in an assisted living facility near his son David, who took loving care of him.  Almost six and a half years after Pauline’s death, Justin died peacefully in his sleep.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the V. Pauline Curry Scholarship Fund which was established through The Support Network for Families of Western Massachusetts to benefit young people who struggle with mental illness and strive to attend college (checks payable to WMTC - VPC Scholarship Fund at 187 High Street, Holyoke, MA, 01040).