Michael Thomas Curry

1956 - 2024

Michael Thomas Curry

June 25, 1956 - December 26, 2024

December 26, 2024, my 68-year-old brother died in hospice at his Vale NC home in my arms.

Born in Wilmington, NC, we lived in Hickory NC, Wrightstown PA, Boonton and Flemington NJ, Greensboro NC and Ft Worth Texas before his settling into the Hickory area.

When younger his hair-raising stories of excessive driving speeds, frequent hitchhiking 'twixt Ft Worth and NJ, and eventually kicking each of the eras buffet of drugs were scary, cautionary, and hilarious; he was always surprised he lived past 30.

Unable to shake the ubiquitous disease of alcoholism, he was grateful that he felt still healthy until just a few months before his death from liver failure.

Starting our lives on the Wilmington beaches, in a home stuffed with books, classical music, and the Shepherd puppies she raised for show, our mother sparked all our shared loves of swimming, dogs, voracious reading, our singing, my classical piano, and Michael's lightning-fingered lead guitar. From his gravelly-voiced rock to sweet love songs, this photo caught our single favorite duet day and moment, singing the Stones' Wild Horses.

Our cousins, including Gordon Sturgis, Jody Heyl-Pettit, Johnny Heyl, and Mark and Liz Wiegand of NC, Idaho, Tuftonboro NH, and Washington, like all loved ones left behind, are each wishing we'd spent more time together.

Others missing him include his deceased second wife's granddaughters Paige Moore and Megan Axtell, daughters of Ben and Aaron; and his buddies-like-brothers musicians Scott, Curtis and Grant.

After two marriages and several long relationships with wonderful women, in his last year Jessica Biggerstaff became his sweets, then his caregiver, softening those last difficult months. Sharing with her the hospice trials and grief of his last weeks, I knew he was lucky to have her tenderness to the end.

I'm stricken that our weekly calls, his big hugs, wonderful laughter, resilience in the face of too many hard knocks, both earned and unearned, and great kindness of heart have gone from this earth.

I'd love all of you anytime this year to send your stories of him to me, Reeve Curry, 108 Beach Pond Rd, Wolfeboro NH, 03894 or reevenotes@gmail.com.

This Sunday, January 26 at 4 p.m., receiving 3:30 p.m., all are welcome to Michael's service, Church of the Nazarene, 3404 Hwy 127 S. Hickory.