Beverly McKinnon Curry

Beverly McKinnon Curry died on June 6, 2026, at the Avery Heights assisted living facility In Hartford. She was 97. She spent her last days in the constant company of her loving children. Beverly was born on November 5, 1928, the second child and eldest daughter of Joseph and Gertrude Root McKinnon. She grew up on Harold Street in Hartford’s Blue Hills neighborhood and was a devoted member of Saint Justin’s Parish. Beverly attended the Rawson School and was a proud 1946 graduate of Weaver High School, where she fought to win early morning gym time for girls who played basketball. Years later she liked to recall she was a Weaver cheerleader, not because she was in a popular clique but because she was a good athlete. She also represented Weaver at an annual statewide Latin competition. After Weaver she went to work for the phone company, which recognized her leadership qualities, urged her toward management and financed evening classes at Trinity College. Then, at a Saint Justin’s church hall dance, she met Bill Curry. They married on June 6, 1949 and were married until his death in 1991. Bev and Bill shared many interests, especially Democratic politics in which both were active all their lives. Beverly served as president of the Hartford Democratic Women’s Club and was a loyal member of the League of Women Voters and the Farmington Democratic Town Committee. She played active roles in many political campaigns. In 1971 Beverly left Hartford and moved to Farmington, CT where she lived until moving to Avery in 2025. Life in Farmington allowed her to adopt many beloved animals, among them a horse, a sheep, ducks, and dogs she could train in a day. Beverly was an avid reader who got as much out of her children’s college educations as they did. She devoured books they brought home, and was a particular fan of Virginia Woolf. She was made even happier when her children brought their friends home. These young people treasured her skilled, patient listening and often sought her wise, generous counsel. Bonds she forged with them lasted to the end of her life. Beverly taught herself to play the piano and all her life took great joy from it. Her remarkable singing voice mesmerized listeners. Once at dinner at the Waldorf Astoria, she joined the pianist for a number and was instantly asked to join him for a professional engagement the following night at the Pierre. She did. Beverly was happy singing or spending time at her beloved Old Lyme Shores, but as she often said, her children were her greatest achievement and joy. We knew how much she loved us and we loved her immensely in return. Beverly was proud of her Scottish heritage, and would remind her children of the McKinnon clan motto, ‘Fortune favors the Bold’. She shared a love of poetry with Vince Tully, a good friend and welcome guest at her evening poetry readings. Beverly is survived by her five children: Kathleen Beverly Curry and her partner Colin McEnroe of West Hartford; Bill Curry of Vernon, Elizabeth Curry and her husband Jim Stodder of West Hartford; Mary Curry and her husband Jonathan Levine of New York City, and Ellen Curry and her husband Fernando Rosenberg of Hartford. Beverly delighted in her grandchildren, Hope Cameron (and her husband Jamie) Emma Curry-Stodder and Joe Curry-Stodder, Lily Bodinson and Maya Bodinson; Isabelle Curry-Levine, Sophie Curry-Levine and Sam-Curry Levine, and her great-grandchildren, Kate and Charlie Cameron. She was predeceased by her brother Joseph McKinnon, her sisters, Maryanne Garlasco and Judith McKinnon, and her long-time beloved friend and companion, David Wooley of Old Lyme CT. She leaves behind as well her very good friend and neighbor Evelyn Stewart, her loving nieces, Marie Cavanaugh and Anne Grubb, her caregivers Relifs Esson and Benita Campbell, her good friends Karen Cichon and Rick O'Neil (whose brother Denny she taught to dance), and her beloved adopted family: Jeff, Ali and Jacob Leichtman. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at Saint Justin’s Church in Hartford on Monday, June 15, at 11:00 am. The family will receive visitors at the church beginning at 10:00 am. Burial will follow at Mount Saint Benedict Cemetery in Bloomfield. In lieu of flowers, Beverly's family encourages donations to the House of Bread, 27 Chestnut Street, Hartford, CT, 06120. Online expressions of sympathy may be made at www.molloyfuneralhome.com