Howard W. Curry

In the early morning of June 8, 2019, Howard “Bud” W. Curry, 71, slipped the surly bonds of Earth to be with his Heavenly Father for eternity. This kind, gentle, strong, loving man who made this world a better place, lived his life fully and peacefully. For 4 years he fought stage 4 colon cancer without complaint as any warrior would do. Even after undergoing numerous surgeries, endless rounds of chemo for years, transfusions, scans and invasive testing, Howard never, ever gave up hope while fighting this vile disease right up to his very last breath.
He would want you to know he served his country honorably for 36 years as a member of the 104th Fighter Wing at Barnes in Westfield, Mass and retired at the rank of Master Sergeant. He had the utmost respect for the hard working men and women he served with especially his cohorts in Plans and Scheduling, Terry Hall and Bette Callahan.
Howard began his career as an aircraft mechanic at the 104th and genuinely loved working on the A-10 jet (except in hot or cold weather). Hopefully he arrived at his heavenly destination strapped in to the cockpit of an A-10, he would have liked that. He made lifelong friends at Barnes and it affected him deeply when members passed especially his bunk buddy Wayne Nielsen and Major General George Keefe who he greatly admired and respected.
Howard would be embarrassed listing the numerous awards and citations he received over his work years so they will remain in a closet for posterity.
A lifelong N.E. Patriots fan, Howard lived and breathed football 24/7 during the season. He was thrilled beyond words when he personally got to meet Tom Brady and other team members years ago after a game because he had “connections.” He was in awe at the size of Brady’s “paws” despite the fact that his own hands were not that far off in comparison. In his senior year at Tech High in Springfield, he was scouted by the Chicago Bears, but his hopes were dashed due to a devastating knee injury from you guessed it, football.
Howard was a blood and platelets donor at Baystate Hospital for close to 20 years. Not in his wildest dreams did he ever expect that someday he would become a recipient of the donor bank as well.
His mot favorite spot in the whole world was Magens Bay in St. Thomas, USVI. He loved cruising to the Caribbean and had a love for the ocean that was embedded in his soul. He loved and cared for numerous dogs and cats he rescued over many years and his heart would break each time one would pass due to illness, but he found comfort in knowing he would see them again someday.
Howard leaves the love of his life, his wife of 39 years, Bonnie, to cherish his memory until the day they are reunited in God’s good graces. Their union was a true love story. They had an incredible bond and left no words unspoken.
He leaves two children from a first marriage, Jeffrey Curry and Kimberly Marion. He also leaves his brother-in-law and sister-in-law Jim and Karen Crosby, numerous nieces and nephews and extended family members the Barton’s, Collin’s, Valenti’s, Clark’s and Welch’s.
The family expresses their heartfelt thanks to all the nurses and technicians at the D’amour Center for Cancer Care for their unwavering support, expertise and kindness. Howard had a guardian angel at the Center, Ann Garbecki, RN. Ann took Howard under her angel wings offering comfort, lifting his spirits and giving him hope over the years that a cure might be found. Ann was like a devoted sister to him and he loved her spirit. Special thanks to all blood donors. Your unselfish acts of sharing this life saving gift truly made a difference. May God bless and watch over each and every one of these unsung heroes.
Family and friends are invited to gather on Saturday, June 15, 2019 from 10 AM – 12 Noon at Forastiere Family Funeral & Cremation, 45 Locust St. Springfield with a memorial service at 12 Noon. Committal will be private in St. Michael the Archangel Mausoleum in St. Michael’s Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations to any soup kitchen, food bank or rescue mission would be appreciated and someday raise a glass of your favorite beverage or brewski and toast a great guy who lived a good life and is now at peace. For more information, please visit www.forastiere.com