Kathleen M. Curry

Kathleen Mary Curry
Blue Mountain Lake and Herkimer NY-Kathleen "Kate" Mary Curry, 62 of 208 Durant Road in Blue Mountain Lake and 435 North Bellinger Street in Herkimer, NY died at Mohawk Valley Nursing Home in Ilion, NY on Thursday, March 15, after a long illness.
Born on December 30, 1956, in Mercy Hospital, Tupper Lake, NY, she was the daughter of the late David Granville Curry and Orpha Ellen Jones Curry of Blue Mountain Lake, NY.
She was among the last students to attend the one room schoolhouse in Blue Mountain Lake and graduated from Indian Lake Central School with a Regents Diploma in 1975. Kate received a Bachelor of Arts degree with a concentration in music from Ithaca College in 1979. Additionally, she graduated from Aldelphi University's post baccalaureate paralegal program in 1983 and obtained a Master of Arts degree in Medieval Music and Literature from SUNY Empire State College in 1999.
Upon graduating from Ithaca, she served her country by donating a year in 1980 to VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) in the state of Nevada at Nevada Indian Legal Services. Later, she was employed as a litigation paralegal for law firms Halloran and Sage and RisCassi and Davis of Hartford, Connecticut. She taught music at St. Joseph's Indian School, Chamberlain, South Dakota; St. Kevin's School in Dorchester, Ma.; and St. Francis DeSales Catholic School in Herkimer, NY; In addition, she was an adjunct string bass instructor at Adirondack Community College in Glens Falls, NY and an adjunct instructor of music, freshman seminar and developmental writing at Herkimer College in Herkimer, NY. She also served as retention specialist at Herkimer College.
Kate spent 28 years as a professional string bassist with orchestras and chamber groups across the United States, including the Glens Falls and Utica, NY symphonies. She sang in choirs and was a dramatic soprano soloist in many musical and theatrical organizations over the years and performed with the first and longest running passion play, The Christus, in Boston, Ma.
A gifted athlete in her early years, she earned her varsity letter in volleyball, field hockey, women's soccer, and women's basketball. She also served as a lifeguard at Blue Mt. Lake Public Beach for six years. Additionally, Kate served as a park ranger for the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation in three different camp grounds in the Adirondacks: Golden Beach, Eighth Lake, and Lake Durant.
A strong writer, her freelance feature stories appeared in The Amsterdam Recorder, Hamilton County News, In the Sun, In the Snow, Adirondack Express and North Country Catholic. Her book of poems, Retrieving the Spirit was published by Foothills Publishing in 200 6, and her self-published young adult novel, Adirondack Canon Mystery began selling on Amazon in 2015. At the time of her death, she was working on other books.

She loved to travel and had visited Ireland, Yugoslavia, Holland, and Italy. Meeting people from other backgrounds and cultures was a favorite pastime for hers. She loved exchanging ideas with other people and had a strong sense of social justice. She loved animals and was a devoted friend.
Kate was also involved in politics, having served as a member of the Hamilton County (NY) Democratic Committee.
She is survived by two sisters: Karin Curry-Nenning of Tupper Lake, NY and Ellen Curry of Herkimer and Blue Mountain Lake, NY; and one brother, David Sean Curry of Blue Mountain Lake, NY; as well as numerous uncles, aunts, and cousins and two godsons, Christopher and Scott Hoffmire, formerly of Trumansburg, NY.
Calling hours will be held Friday, April 6, 2018, from 5-7 pm at Miller Funeral Home, Main Street, Indian Lake, NY. A funeral mass will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 7, at St. Paul's Roman Catholic Church, Blue Mountain Lake, NY. Donations can be made to St. Paul's Roman Catholic Church via St. Mary's Rectory, Main Street, Indian Lake, NY or to Herkimer Humane Society.

Services:

Visitation
Friday, April 6, 2018
5-7 p.m.
Miller Funeral Home

Funeral Mass
11 a.m., Saturday, April 7, 2018
St. Paul's Catholic Church
Blue Mountain Lake

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