Karl J.W. Curry

In Memory of Karl
Karl John William Curry, 50, lost his battle with liver and pancreatic cancer on January 21, 2025, with his family by his side. Just like in his McHenry football days, Karl fought like a Warrior, showing tremendous courage throughout his journey. He was born on February 11, 1974, in Mountain View, California to Edward and Kathleen Curry. Karl was husband to Lisa (Clark), father to Danielle (Dani), big brother to Christine (Steve Cliff) and Joel (Jessica Curry) and uncle to Maya (Rimpela), Zoey (Rimpela) Paige Curry, Abi Clark, Darius Clark, and Jasmine Clark. He was the eldest of 32 grandchildren to Jack and Norma Adams. Karl's family was important to him, and he always looked forward to his Iowa family gatherings and reunions.
Karl and Lisa were married for 21 years. Karl was overjoyed when he became a father and enjoyed many family days together with Lisa and Dani. After her birth, he spent the first 2 years as a stay at home dad before becoming a UPS driver. Karl loved teaching her new things, like how to ride her bike, and cheered her on at all her activities. He enjoyed making campfires and smores in the backyard, as well as Dani's favorite tradition of mac and cheese Sundays. In Dani's words "He was 100% the best Dad in history."
Karl was passionate about his 20 + years of working as a volunteer at Boxer Rebound where he cared for and trained rescued boxers. He served as their treasurer and specialized in training deaf dogs. Over the years, Karl developed his special skill set from the founder, Jeannette Everett, while developing deep friendships and sharing common bonds with the other volunteers. Karl and Lisa owned seven rescue boxers, most with special needs, the most recent being Frankie and Bella.
Karl's friendships from his days as a McHenry Warrior ran deep. They remained steadfast in their close bond throughout the years and were always there for each other. They gathered together, played intramural sports, and planned outings throughout the years such as their annual football trip, Jimmy Buffet concerts, and so much more. Many of them gathered during Karl's last few days to support him, share laughs, and remember good times.
Karl will forever be remembered for his brilliant smile, love of football, passion for training dogs, and his quiet, and gentle nature. He was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, William and Florence Curry, maternal grandparents, Jack and Norma Adams and father, Edward Curry.
The family will be eternally grateful for all the love and support we have received over the years. We are also appreciative of all the care he received at The City of Hope over the past couple of years.
Visitation will be held on Saturday, February 1st, from 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM at Justen Funeral Home & Crematory, 3700 W. Charles Miller Road, McHenry, IL., followed by a funeral service at 1:30 PM at the Church of the Holy Apostles, 5211 Bull Valley Rd. Mchenry, IL 60050.
In lieu of flowers, if moved, donations may be made in Karl's name to one of the following: Furever Home Dog Sanctuary, located in Richmond, Illinois fureverhomedogsanctuary.org
OR American Red Cross - to benefit disaster relief for the California Wildfires.
For information, please call the Funeral Home at 815-385-2400, or visit www.justenfh.com, where friends and loved ones may share memories of Karl on his tribute wall.