Willie Curry

WILLIE "BILL" CURRY, JR. 15 Nov 1939 - 11 May 2016 Bill passed away peacefully during the early morning of May 11th at Carmel Hills Care Center in Monterey. Born in Tunica, MS, Bill was raised in Memphis, TN. He graduated high school in June 1957 and immediately joined the US Marine Corps. Bill, attended many different community and standard colleges throughout the nation and overseas including New York University, University of Maryland, Los Angeles City College, Monterey Peninsula College and University North Carolina. Bill has always loved education during his 30 years in the US Marine Corps. Most of his courses were Intelligence related and even included a Marine Corps Amphibious Warfare Program. Beginning in 1957 he was an Infantryman and "supply guy". In 1966, while in Vietnam Bill joined the Intelligence Field where he became an Interrogator of Prisoners of War, a translator, and interpreter and throughout his career attended the Defense Language Institute pursuing Vietnamese, Spanish, Japanese and Korean. Bill served in Lebanon, Vietnam, Korea, Okinawa, Japan, Columbia, Rio De Janeiro and the Philippines. During his 30 years of service he rose to the Rank of Master Gunnery Sergeant and was awarded a combination of 21 individual, unit ribbons and medals prior to his Honorable Retirement from the US Marines Corp in 1987. Bill became a Special Agent in 1987 with the Defense Investigative Service and Defense Security Service, which later became the Federal Investigative Service. He was with them until his retirement in 2007. Bill also served the local community as a Commissioner for the City of Seaside Neighborhood Improvement Program Commission. He was a part of the Monterey Bay Christian Center for almost 50 years. Preceded in death by his second wife Bess Janssen, Bill will be truly missed by many of his very dear friends including Atsuko La Mica, Step Son Jerry Janssen, Kaneko Weber, Jim and Lydia Cook, Gene and Annie Kaptur and many more. Military Internment Services will be Friday, May 20h at 2:00 at the Mission Memorial Park and Funeral Home at 1915 Ord Grove Ave. Seaside. Following the Service will be a gathering at the Monterey Bay Christian Center at 1184 Hilby Ave. Seaside, CA.