Obituary of Dr. Donald Morgan Curry

On Saturday morning, August 20, Dr. Donald Morgan Curry went home to be with his Lord and Savior. He was born on May 3, 1935, in the small town of Blanchard, Oklahoma, to Rex and Mary Curry and older brother Jim. He graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and then served as a lieutenant in the Army. Don met his wife, Nancy, at OU and they married on October 18, 1958. He earned his M.S. degree from the University of Pittsburgh and worked at the Westinghouse Atomic Power Lab in Pittsburgh. After enduring one of Pittsburgh’s worst blizzards, they were excited to move back to Texas and its warm weather. After Don and Nancy moved to Pearland, Texas, in 1962, he began working for the newly-formed space organization, NASA. He quickly became active in his community, serving on the PISD school board and with the Lions Club. In 1970, he earned his PhD from the University of Houston. He loved his work at NASA and was involved with every program, from Mercury through the Space Shuttle, before retiring after 45 years. He became one of the world’s leading experts on thermal protection systems, receiving much recognition for his work. Don was respected and beloved by his colleagues who referred to him as “The Legend.” Don found the Lord in his 40s and was very devoted to Christ. He was an active leader in the church community, serving as a Bible study leader and elder. He loved sharing the Word with many people. He enjoyed fellowship with other Christians at church, teaching Sunday School and Bible studies, and exploring the Bible with his wife in their daily devotionals. Don and Nancy were blessed with the opportunity to travel the world together, and especially loved their time in Israel, Australia and New Zealand. Don dearly loved his children and grandchildren, spending time at the beach house, playing games inside and outside, doing something special with them on their birthdays, and attending Grandparents’ Days and sporting events with them (especially the OU-TU annual “shootout”). Don is survived by his wife of almost 58 years, Nancy, daughter Donna and her husband, Chris, and their children, daughter Katie, Matthew and Michael; daughter Carla and her husband, Kevin, and their children, Brian, Traci and David; and son Jim and his wife Laurie, and their children, Beckett, Pierce and Ivy. He was preceded in death by his parents, Rex and Mary Curry, and his brother and his wife, Jim and Connie Curry. Visitation will be held on Wednesday, August 24, from 6 to 8 pm at the Clayton Funeral Home at 5530 West Broadway in Pearland. The memorial service will be held on Thursday, August 25, at 11 am at the Clayton Funeral Home and will be followed by a reception at the Shadycrest Baptist Church at 3017 Yost Road. In lieu of flowers, please send any donations to the Shadycrest Baptist Church Building Fund.