Curtis Robinson Newbury

The Great Adventures of Curtis Robinson Newbury on planet Earth began on June 8th, 1942 in Dallas, Texas, and on December 8th, 2023 he bought his ticket and boarded the ship for the great beyond. Do not worry, he has registered your name on the passenger list and left your tickets at the gate; you are all welcome to join him on the next great adventure when your time comes.

Curt spent the first 20 years of his time here in the tiny “village” of Highland Park, Texas, dreaming big dreams and making big plans. He discovered his love for language and art and classical music and all things beautiful while attending St. Marks (all boys) School in his primary years. As he grew into his teens he discovered a new wonder this world had to offer: girls! With the promise to improve his grades and take an interest in sports, Curt transferred to Highland Park High School. He thought the co-ed experience would be a great motivator.

Curt had the soul of a poet and thus found the physical roughness of contact sports unsuitable to his character, but he could run, so run he did. Curt was a track and field star athlete at Highland Park High School, breaking and setting nationwide records in the 100-yard dash in 1960. And... he learned that chicks really dug athletes! While his grades remained those of a young man that had no time for classroom learning or instructors with half his intellect, he was still able to attend The University of Texas on a Track and Field scholarship. Now the party was really about to begin!

Austin and the University of Texas offered a whole new set of wonder for this young man from the tiny village. There was new music, there were new accents, the girls had grown into young women and he was out from under the prying eyes of his parents. This world had just gotten so much bigger and he wanted to experience all of it! Curt was finally finding his footing.

Unfortunately in 1962 the Vietnam Conflict interrupted the party. Having grown up in a military family, Curt felt it was his duty to enlist in the US armed forces. Duty may be too strong of a word. He didn’t want to nervously wait around to get drafted and end up who knows where, so he enlisted. While he absolutely detested everything about Army life, he was given the unique opportunity to work as a staff photographer. And as it turns out, the world was even more beautiful from behind the lens. Curt was hooked on photography for life. No matter where he went or what he did, the camera called to him. He always wanted to capture the perfect shot. He was honorably discharged from the Army in 1965 and that chapter was closed. Army life was definitely not the adventure Curt was looking for.

As a young man, after the military, Curt’s spirit was restless. He searched for his calling. He dabbled in everything. He got his pilot’s license and taught at a flight school. He learned construction and traveled Texas building homes and practicing his Spanish. He took his camera everywhere and charmed the ladies with the beautiful images he captured but he needed something bigger, something more impactful, something that would touch the world. He learned that if he combined his love for poetry and the written word with his love for music, he had a real talent at song writing. And if chicks did anything, they really dig musicians!

In 1968 the Legendary Stardust Cowboy from Dallas was born. He packed up his guitar and headed west. He was going to be a star! If Curt was going to make it in the business, he had to be in the right place around the right people. He rented a room at the Sunset Hotel and got to work, making connections and writing music.

Word got around that there was a new artist in town and in 1969 The Legendary Stardust Cowboy from Dallas Signed a record deal with Virgin Records. Curt spent the next 9 months at The Sound Factory recording his debut album, "Half A Month of May Days". Many of the girls back home thought those songs were written about them. Curt was a true gentleman and not wanting to break their hearts, he never told them any differently.

"Half A Month of May Days" was a beautifully written album but Curt was just too deep for the average man. The world didn’t receive his gift the way the wanted. The L.A. life was too fast and too busy for him and the people were too plastic and too fake. Curt packed up his bags and headed back to Dallas. He still hadn’t found what he was looking for but he knew it wasn’t in L.A.

in 1972 Curt’s adventure had slowed down just in time to catch a glimpse of Mary Ellen Madrigal, the girl of dreams. There she stood in the rain wearing her navy peacoat, and as Curt would often say “that was it, he was done.” Everything he had been looking for these past 30 years was right in front of him. When Curt would tell the story he would always say he knew he was going to marry the girl the minute he laid eyes on her. The Legendary Stardust Cowboy was put to rest. Curt had a new dream, a new goal, he no longer wanted to be a solo act. He wanted to be Curt and Mary and that was going the greatest adventure of all.

Curt and Mary spent the next 50 years loving each other, taking care of one another, building a beautiful life together. There were many adventures along the way, many passions sought. With Mary Ellen by his side, Curt was able to pursue careers in furniture building and cabinet design. He was a contractor and started a construction company and a plumbing business. But Curt’s love for photography and art never faded. In 1978 Curt and Mary opened a little photography studio and spent the next 35 years working side by side as photographer and makeup artist. Curt never stopped dreaming, he never stopped trying new things, making music, making art, looking for the beauty that this little planet Earth had to offer but most of all he never stopped loving his Lellow and wanting to give her all that he could.

Along the way two beautiful daughters joined the journey, Monica and Shannon. Curt loved sharing his enthusiasm for life with them. He loved educating them, sharing music and art and books with them. He taught them to find adventure in everything they did, to look for beauty everywhere they went. And most importantly he taught them to never stop looking for the answers to the mysteries of the universe. He loved his little family that he created with his darling Lellow.

In 1991 Curt and Mary welcomed their first grandson into the world and over the next nine years, three more grandsons joined their journey. Curt finally had the boys to do boy stuff with. They were all “running in the family”. The artist, the flirt, the actor, the musician, in their own way they were all little versions of their “Dah”. He loved his grandsons fiercely and he took so much joy and pleasure in being their “Dah”. Curt’s family was complete.

For the next thirty years Curt made it his mission to share with his family all that he had to give. He gave them to unconditional love. He taught them that every dream is worth having but you have to be willing to work for it. Curt gave his family strength and he gave them courage. Because of that, they know that no matter what they will always have one another.

Curt Newbury is preceded in death by his grandsons, Curtis Valdivia and Dylan Newbury

He is survived by his loving wife, Mary Ellen Newbury; daughters Monica Newbury (Jeff) and Shannon Newbury; grandsons, Quinn Valdivia (Jordan) and Milo Mount (Gem); brother Lane Newbury (Anne) and sisters Myra Bianca, Blanche Evans and Elizabeth Dearmore (Russ); many brothers and sisters in-law, nieces and nephews; and countless friends.

A visitation for Curtis will be held Wednesday, December 13, 2023 from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM at Sparkman-Crane Funeral Home, 10501 Garland Road, Dallas, TX 75218. A funeral service will occur Wednesday, December 13, 2023 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM, 10501 Garland Road, Dallas, TX 75218. An interment will occur Wednesday, December 13, 2023 from 2:30 PM to 3:30 PM at External Service Location, 3900 Oakland Cir, Dallas, TX 75215.