NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — Dorothy A. Curry, 90, of New Bedford, died Sunday, March 8 at Sacred Heart Nursing Home after a long illness.
Born in New Bedford, she was the daughter of the late John T. Curry, Jr. and Hetty M. (Harrington) Curry. Dot was a proud lifelong resident of New Bedford, with a family history in the city dating back to the late 1840s. She was also a graduate of Holy Family High School and the Katherine Gibbs School in Providence, R.I.
After graduating, she was employed as the executive secretary to William Potter at the Berkshire Hathaway Company in New Bedford. When Berkshire Hathaway moved from the area, she became Mr. Potter’s executive secretary at Fairhaven Marine. In later years, Dorothy worked in the Office of the Bishop of the Diocese of Fall River until her retirement.
Gifted with a beautiful voice, Dorothy, along with her sister Ellen and father, provided the music for weddings, funerals, Masses and other events at St. Lawrence Martyr Church in New Bedford for many years. She was involved in many community organizations including the Quota Club of New Bedford, the New Bedford Symphony, the Catholic Woman’s Club of New Bedford and the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women, for which she had formerly served as President.
She is survived by three nieces, Dorothy M. Costa and her husband James of New Bedford; Cathleen M. Riley and her husband Thomas of Milton; and Kristine M. O’Neil and her husband Christopher of Dartmouth; three nephews: James A. Calnan and his wife Carol of East Freetown, John C. Calnan and his wife Lisa of Westport, and Timothy J. Curry and his wife Nancy of New Bedford; her brother-in-law, Theodore J. Calnan of New Bedford and sister-in-law, Nancy Whitlock of Acushnet; several great-nieces and nephews and cousins. She was the sister of the late Ellen L. (Curry) Calnan and John T. “Jack” Curry, III.
A Mass of Christian Burial was held on Friday, March 13 at St. Lawrence Martyr Church in New Bedford. Interment followed at St. Mary’s Cemetery in New Bedford.
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