Obituary of Shirley Parker Curry

Shirley Parker Curry, age 86, a longtime resident of Jenkintown, PA died on October 29, 2023. She was the devoted wife of the late Honorable Lawrence H. Curry for 61 years. Born in Salem, NJ on May 28, 1937, she was the daughter of the late Wilmer George Parker and the late Florence Sutton Parker. After graduating from Salem High School, Shirley attended Bucknell University. She was a devoted wife, homemaker, mother, grandmother and great grandmother and activist and dancer. She danced with the Philadelphia Civic Ballet for 20 years and taught ballet for 52 years. She retired from teaching in 2010. She had many interests and passions including dancing, baton twirling, swimming, reading, theatre, orchestra and politics. She was very active member of the Jenkintown community and served on the boards of Jenkintown Library, Settlement Music School, Jenkintown Music Theatre, Jenkintown Democratic Committee and Abington Hospital Institutional Review Board. Additionally, she served on the Pennsylvania Democratic Committee for 38 years. Shirley started her political involvement in 1960 when she became a "Kennedy Girl" and worked on the Kennedy campaign. She was a member of First United Methodist Church of Germantown 66 years. She is survived by her children and their spouses: Jennifer Lynn Curry Coleman and Christopher Coleman, Jeffery L. Curry and Joyce Moss, Jacquelyn Curry Todaro and James Todaro; grandchildren: Christina Leigh Coleman and Daniel Johnson, Katherine Lynn Coleman Bintz and Gavin Bintz, Benjamin Curry Coleman, Emily Curry, Dylan Curry and Alan Doan, Tyler Curry, Courtney Anne Todaro and Jeremy E. Todaro; great-grandchildren: Reya Lynn Bintz, Clayton Bintz, Colten Johnson and Hugo Johnson. Relatives and friends will be received on Friday, November 10, 2023 from 6:00 – 8:00 PM, Helweg & Rowland Funeral Home, 1500 Old York Road, Abington. Memorial service will be held at 11:30 AM on Saturday, November 11, 2023, First United Methodist Church of Germantown, 6001 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia. A reception will follow the service. Interment in George Washington Memorial Park will be held privately. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to First United Methodist Church of Germantown, 6001 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19144, Jenkintown Library 460 York Road, Jenkintown, PA 19046 (jenkintownlibrary.org), Jenkintown Music Theatre (jenkintownmusictheatre.com) or to Shirley Curry Scholarship, Coleman School of Dance, 2 Orchard Lane, New Rochelle, NY 10801.