Richard "Dick" Curran

On Monday, the 8th of July 2019, Richard Bernard “Dick” Curran Jr., beloved husband, brother, father, stepfather, and grandfather passed away at the age of 83. Dick was born on the 12th of November 1935 in New London, CT and grew up in nearby West Hartford. He was the first of two sons born to Richard B. Curran and Anna K. Curran. In 1966, he married Diana Bland. They were married for 10 years and had two children, Richard W. Curran and Anne C. White. In 1978, Dick married Carol Cockrell Jennings and became a loving stepfather to Carol’s children, Webb Jennings and Laura Turner. Dick and Carol were married for nearly 40 years until Carol’s passing in April 2018.

Dick received two degrees from Yale University – BA in 1957 and Law in 1963 – and an MA from Trinity College in 1959. Upon graduation from law school, he moved to Texas and practiced law with several oil & gas companies. His varied career path included executive management positions in the oil and gas, automotive sales, manufacturing, and satellite imagery industries.

Dick dedicated his life to the service to others. He spent his entire adult life volunteering and working in many community and church service activities. Most prominently, he served as an active volunteer for Texas C.A.S.A. (Court Appointed Special Advocates) for more than 20 years.

Playing sports and being active were essential to Dick’s well-being and he was a three-sport athlete in high school. He played varsity basketball and soccer as an undergraduate student at Yale and continued playing soccer with the semi-professional New Haven Ukrainians while in law school. Dick had the opportunity to coach football and basketball while teaching English at the Kinkaid School in Houston in 1959 and 1960. He served as tournament chairman of the River Oaks Tennis Tournament in 1976 and 1977. Throughout the remainder of his life he played tennis, golf, and any other sport that kept him healthy and connected with friends.

Dick was known for his quick wit, his infectious smile, and his kind and compassionate spirit. He had many tricks up his sleeve to lift spirits, most notably his seemingly never-ending supply of lollipops that he would produce to bring a smile to a young child’s face. Dick was also a noted prankster. On many occasions he would use the cover of disguise to surprise (and sometimes shock) his family and friends. He was supportive, loving, and caring, and will be missed dearly by everyone whose life he touched.

Dick was preceded in death by his father, Richard; his mother, Anna; and his wife, Carol. He is survived by his four children, Richard “Woody” Curran and his wife Karin, Anne Curran White and her husband Joe, Laura Jennings Turner and her husband John, Webb Jennings and his wife Christy; his brother Mike Curran and his wife Nancy; his grandchildren, Hannah, Theo, and Eli Curran, Kate White, John and Grace Turner, Mary B and Lila Jennings; and nephews Mike Curran, Russ Curran, Tim Curran and Jeff Curran, and their respective wives and children. He is also survived by his in-laws Ernie and Janet Cockrell and their children Ernie and David Cockrell and their wives and families.

Dick and the family would like to extend deep gratitude to the team of doctors and nurses who cared for him. Dick especially wanted to recognize the efforts of Dr. Robert Jackson, Dr. Jorge Darcourt, Dr. Brian Miles, Dr. Brian Butler, Dr. David Terreson, as well as the Pulse Nursing Staff team of Jirah Heard, Bacardi Johnson, Mana Kpekpasse, Leslie Nieto, Lydia Opoku, and Kathy Killian.

Friends are cordially invited to a visitation with the family from five o'clock in the afternoon until seven o'clock in the evening on Thursday, the 11th of July, in the Jasek Chapel and Parlor of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston.

Rev. John Barksdale will officiate at the celebration of Dick’s life at eleven o’clock in the morning on Friday, the 12th of July, in the Sanctuary of Second Baptist Church, 6400 Woodway Drive in Houston.

Immediately following, all are invited to greet the family during a reception in the nearby Deacons Parlor.

Prior to the service, the family will have gathered for a private interment.

In lieu of customary remembrances, memorial contributions may be directed to Texas CASA at www.texascasa.org/ways-give/