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Submitted: 5/4/24 • Approved: 5/8/24 • Last Updated: 5/11/24 • R1531155-G1531155-S3
Carolyn Blenden Curry
June 23, 1926 — November 13, 2013
*Obituary
Carolyn Curry, 87, of Little Rock, was born in North Little Rock Arkansas on June 23, 1926, to loving parents Belle and Roland Blenden, Carolyn grew up in the Baring Cross area. Carolyn’s and her brother Gene’s early life were focused around activities at Baring Cross Baptist Church. She was advanced a grade in school and graduated early NLR High School and then attended Ouachita Baptist University on a debate scholarship. While working in the Pyramid Building, she met and married Allan Curry, a civil engineer. As a woman of the 1950’s she did more than her share of club work and served as president of many of the organizations of which she belonged: NLR Jaycettes, the NLR Progressive League, the Engineering Auxiliary, etc. Tired of playing bridge and being the club woman, she returned to LRU in 1960 to finish her degree and had the time of her life. As many older students do, Carolyn immersed herself in her class work and became President of the honor society Phi Kappa Psi. She hung out in the Student Union and befriended many of the younger students. She assisted with plays in the theater department and was soon regularly hosting cast parties and get-togethers at the Curry home. After graduation, she began teaching speech and working on her Masters degree at Ouachita Baptist University. She had the honor of not having a single grammatical error on her thesis. She later did post graduate work at Memphis State, Trinity, and a sabbatical at Florida State University. Carolyn was on the faculty in the theater department for many years and often directed the annual musical and the summer program for young students. She was considered by many to be "the cool" teacher and was loved by her students. In the 1960’s, Carolyn got involved in the beauty pageant scene and often served around the state as a producer, mistress of ceremonies, judge, chaperone or mentor to the contestants. She also served as the only female faculty advisor at the time to a male fraternity, Sigma Nu. Many a pledge had to go to the Curry home on a scavenger hunt seeking designated items. Perhaps the role that she loved the best was that of mother to her children Caran and Brian Curry. In later years, she especially enjoyed visits with Brian’s and Holly’s four children, Jonathan now 22 and a senior at Ouachita Stephen now 20 and a junior at Ouachita, Benjamin now 17 and David now 14. She also relished her role as a step mother to husband Bill Heard’s children, Johnny, Candy and Christy and step grandmother to Christopher and Cassie Crane in the 1980’s. She also loved her nephew Chip Blenden and his family. For the last seven years Carolyn lived in Hillcrest with Caran so that she could be closer to her favorite watering hole, the Afterthought. She loved swapping stories and dancing with her dance partner Frederick Gentry. In the end, her dementia was a blessing for she could not remember that she could not get out of the bed. To her, she was catching up on her rest so that she could go dancing the next night. Had she have known that she could not go dancing anymore, it would have killed her. Those who have loved Carolyn all their lives, wish to thank those who came to love her more recently. We are especially grateful to two caregivers from Elder Independence, Everne Wright and Rosa Marshall who together with the wonderful support from Arkansas Hospice eased her last transition. She died peacefully in her sleep on Wednesday morning. A Celebration, featuring several of her former students, will be held on Sunday, November 17, from 3:30 PM at the North Little Rock Funeral Home at 1921 Main Street. A reception party will immediately follow. Please come to either of these events. If you would like to send a memorial in her honor, please consider a contribution to your favorite theater Weekend, Argenta Community Theater, the Rep or UALR, etc.. Also, if you have the time, drop Caran caranrc@aol.com or Brian bcurry04@comcast.net an email and tell them your favorite Carolyn story!
Source: arkansascremation.com
Contributed on 5/4/24 by ashaw444
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Record #: 1531155