Sam E. Curl

1937 - 2016

Samuel Everett Curl passed away Tuesday, August 2, 2016. Service: 2 p.m. Friday at Acton United Methodist Church, Acton, Texas. Graveside service: 10 a.m. Friday in Tolar Cemetery, Tolar, Texas. Visitation: 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Wiley Funeral Home, Granbury, Texas. Memorials: Memorial contributions may be made to the Dean Sam E. Curl Agricultural Leadership Endowment at Texas Tech University, Acton United Methodist Church or the Tolar Volunteer Fire Department. He was born Dec. 26, 1937, in Fort Worth grew up on a farm near Tolar and graduated from Tolar High School in 1955. He earned a junior college diploma from Tarleton State University in 1957, a bachelor's degree from Sam Houston State University in 1959, a master's degree in Animal Genetics from the University of Missouri in 1961 and a Ph.D. in Animal Physiology from Texas A&M University in 1963. He was a U.S. Army officer, completing his service with the rank of Captain. Dr. Curl completed an American Council on Education Academic Administration Internship at Oklahoma State University in 1972-73 as Special Assistant to the President and was President of Phillips University in Enid, Okla. from 1976 to 1979. He has authored or co-authored three books and 95 scientific or technical publications. He is a past president of the Southern Association of Agricultural Scientists, the Southern Region Administrative Heads and the Lubbock Economic Council. He is past chairman of the board of the Mid-America International Agricultural Consortium, and has received Distinguished Alumnus awards from the University of Missouri and Sam Houston State University. Dr. Curl served a total of 31 years at Texas Tech University, including three years as Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs. He was Dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources at Texas Tech from 1979 to 1997. From 1997 to 2004, he was Dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources at Oklahoma State University, Director of the Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station and Director of the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service. After retiring from full-time service in July of 2004, he engaged in professional consulting, working for Tarleton State University as Executive Assistant to the Provost and Special Assistant for Research and Development to the Dean of Agriculture and Human Sciences. He also worked in a consulting capacity for Ag Workers Mutual Auto Insurance Company in Fort Worth. His interests included spending time with his children and grandchildren, a life-long love of fishing, playing and watching sports of any kind, traveling and enjoying musical theatre. He was a member of Acton United Methodist Church. He is preceded in death by his father, Henry Clay Curl and his mother, Mary Elva Watson Curl. Survivors: His beloved wife, Mary; the mother of his children, Betty Curl Malone; daughters Jane Parker and husband, Dan, of Beaumont, Julia Curl and Christopher Rezler, of Rosenberg, Karen Boozer and husband, Britt, of Indianola, Iowa; his wife's children, Ryan Botkin and wife, Desiree, of Austin and Shelly Marquess and husband, Ryan, of Austin; adored grandchildren, Rachel and Robert Parker, Greyson and Avery Boozer and Robert and Daisy Botkin. The family wishes to thank the staff of Interim Hospice of Granbury and the loving caregivers who assisted our beloved husband and father.