Richard Curry
Richard Curry was born in Saginaw, Michigan on October 16th, 1943. His team won the National Bowling Title when he was 6 ½ years-old with the Florida Fruit Market Hot N’ Tot team. One of his teammates was Bill Freider, the University of Michigan’s two-time “National Basketball Coach of the Year.” Richard graduated from Arthur Hill High School where he lettered in golf (the only AHHS Varsity golfer to lose to a Saginaw High player-it was also Richard’s last varsity match), track, and cross country (they once shut the gate on him before he finished). At age 30 with 4-days of practice Richard ran in Saginaw’s 1st ever Marathon, finishing 14 miles behind the winner. As a youngster he played baseball in Saginaw’s Knothole League and football/hockey at Lathrup Park. He was the Sports Editor for the nationally acclaimed A.H.H.S. newspaper (Quill and Scroll Winner). He went on to Delta College. Paulette and Richard have been married over 45 years. They have four children and eleven grandchildren. Richard is CEO and Vice President of the Fullerton Tool Company and the President of the M. Curry Corporation. He has produced a Ballet book, two videos, and is presently writing books on his friend Jim Northrup of the 1968 World Champion Detroit Tigers, Saginaw’s 1st Major Leaguer “Red” McKee and Cowboy Screen Star Tim McCoy (Richard did 5 Tim McCoy Seminars at SVSU in 2008). In generating the Ballet book he worked with numerous renowned ballet companies and went to Cuba three times to photograph their two companies (1999 to 2001). In Cuba, Richard spent two afternoons with Gregorio Fuentes in his home. Gregorio was Ernest Hemmingway’s boat captain, Fuentes died at age 104. Richard also shared a Jack Daniels bottle with Alicia Alonso, Director of the National Ballet of Cuba. His other favorite memory was shaking Harry S. Truman’s hand in 1953. A few Richard hockey moments: Son Patrick scoring a goal on a breakaway in the last minute to win the Mite Playoffs, coaching in the Midland Silver Stick Bantam Tournament to see his team score 3 goals in the last 5 minutes to win by one, coming back from 6-0 to tie Midland Dow 7-7 in the Midland Arena, winning the City Championship by pounding Larry’s Lounge and getting a goal himself, tying the Soo 0-0 (as Mac Arthur’s Hockey Coach) after two periods in a Michigan High School Hockey Tournament, his son Patrick scoring 9 goals against Alpena in a Squirt State Tournament game in front of the St. Thomas Nuns and his classmates, and Richard getting knocked out cold during a face off with big Henry Shipman. More not-so-favorite memories included: running down Grand River Avenue in a snow storm with Reggie Fleming of the New York Rangers in hot pursuit, skates and all. An enraged Buffalo almost trampled him in Yellowstone National Park. Jim Piersall, of the Cleveland Indians tried choking him to death at Briggs Stadium after a ball game. Richard put together a display at the Castle Museum to honor Saginaw baseball and will do the same for Tim McCoy in 2009. Richard has won local and national photo awards. He’s a photo-journalist for the “Review” Magazine and has been privileged to attend many National Sporting Events. Richard coached and caught for Saginaw’s 1st Vintage League Base Ball team in 2008, the Saginaw “Old Golds”. The team finished 2nd in the 2008 Greenfield Village World Tournament. He created two events for Midland’s Dow Diamond: The honoring of 27 professional players from the Tri-Cities in 2007 (The Great Lakes Loons played in throw-back game uniforms designed by Richard), and a 3-team 90 minute Vintage Base Ball Exhibition (Saginaw, Bay City, and Midland-the “Old Golds” won both games) in 2008. As of 9/10/2008 the team record stood at 12-4.
Richard writes stories for Review Magazine under the name, “The Accidental Tourist.” He is a regular contributor to the Saginaw News on political issues. Richard- big game fished internationally. In Peru he caught 13-Striped Marlin in four days and fought a 1,200 pound black marlin. At Cape Cod he boated a 650 and 850 pound Blue-Fin-Tuna (4 hours total on a line for the two) on the same day. Field & Stream worked out a trip for Richard and Paulette to fish Africa for 3 weeks and they survived. He is an avid Musky fisherman. Richard has coached hockey for over 34 years. He took Mite, Squirt, Peewee, and Bantam teams to the state finals. His teams have won various tournaments. Richard’s team won the Saginaw Mite Friendship Tournament in 2004. He helped guide two Mite teams to the league championships in 2006 and 2007 with his son Patrick (1987-1988 Michigan High School Hockey All-State 1st Team). Richard’s Squirt “AA” Travel team improved 17 games in 2007 over the previous season. He served as assistant and head coach at Douglas Mac Arthur High School when they won five straight Saginaw High School Hockey League titles, six in all going 109-65-5 (.626 %). He was chosen the Class “A”, Heritage High School’s first hockey coach. In three years the school went 34-27-5. Richard played men’s hockey for 12 years, his teams won two Saginaw Class “A” Titles (Richard holds the most penalty minutes record in a Class “A” Civic Center hockey game: 86 minutes and a one month suspension) and two over-30 League Titles at the Bay Ice Arena. Several boys that he coached went on to coach in Saginaw at all levels. His stick boy for his high school team turned out to be Notre Dame’s Hockey Captain in 2006/2007. Richard’s favorite hockey players are his two sons Paul and Patrick, and two grandsons: Greyson Richard and Aiden Carl. Richard helped coach youth baseball in Hemlock for three seasons.