James Lee Curry

James Lee Curry, of Browns Valley, CA passed away January 9, 2014. Born in Terra Haute, IN, his family moved to Marysville in 1957. He graduated from Marysville HS in 1962; served in the U.S. Army from 1963 to 1966, including a tour of duty in Vietnam. He earned his Associates degree from Yuba College; Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from CSU Chico, and a Juris Doctor from University of the Pacific's McGeorge School of Law. Jim worked as a probation officer for Bi-County Juvenile Hall and began his career as an attorney for Don Huckins before opening his own practice, best known as Curry, Vasquez and Hansen. Jim was elected and served as a Yuba County Superior Court Judge from 1997 until his retirement in 2010.

Jim was an avid golfer, and both he and his wife Deb have been members of Peach Tree Golf and Country Club since 1984. Jim's love of people and sports was evident in his volunteer work with Yuba and Sutter County's Little Leagues. He served as President of Peach Bowl, directed tournaments, and enjoyed umpiring above all else. Jim also held a deep- seated conviction that most people, no matter how down and out, could change their lives for the better if given the opportunity. As Yuba County's Drug Court Judge from 2004 until his retirement, he had the power to present people with just such an opportunity, and he delighted in recounting success stories of people who had gone from lives of addiction and despair to freedom and hope. He was honored for his time as Drug Court Judge with the Friend of the Field by the County Alcohol and Drug Program Administrators Association of California for his outstanding work as a drug court judge.

Jim's children gratefully remember him as a father who encouraged and supported them in all their endeavors and was always quick to say, "I love you" and "I am proud of you".

He will be dearly missed by his wife Debra Curry; sons Clint (Meredith) Curry of Yuba City and Andrew (Kristal) Curry of Surfside Beach, South Carolina; daughter Leah (Don) Lorton of Browns Valley; four grandsons and three granddaughters; sisters Mary Ann Kopke of Tuscon, AZ, Virginia Perry of Yuba City and Linda Pippin of Sparta, TN; and his brother Robert Curry of Marysville.

He was preceded in death by his loving parents Homer and Margaret Curry.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 3PM on Thursday, January 23 at St. Isidore Catholic Church at 222 Clark Ave., Yuba City, CA 95991.

In lieu of flowers the family requests memorial donations be made to CA Collaborative Justice Courts Foundation, Attn: Yuba County Friends of Drug Court, 200 Coyote Street 2629, Nevada City, CA 95959 or to Restoration Railroad with checks made out to Hope Point Church, 600 N. George Washington Blvd., Yuba City, CA 95993 with Restoration Railroad in the memo line.

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