Longtime local council member Jim Curry passed away on July 3, less than 18 months after being diagnosed with ALS.
Curry, 63, described as community-minded and a man of few words by his family, was active locally as a municipal councillor for 21 years.
He was also a Rotary Club member and served on various committees at the Drayton Reformed Church, including mission work in Haiti. His favourite pastimes included hunting, fishing and golfing.
In December of 2014, Curry received the life changing medical diagnosis that he had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Better known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease, the condition is a neurodegenerative disease in which nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control muscle movement die, leading to a loss of mobility and speech, eventually impacting the patient’s ability to breathe and swallow.
There is no cure or treatment for ALS.
Curry and his family took on raising awareness of ALS as a goal, including a fundraising walk in June. Fifty family members and friends participated in the 5km Walk for ALS in Waterloo on June 11. The event raised $110,000
The Walk for ALS is the largest volunteer-led fundraiser for ALS across the country. Local communities raise funds and celebrate hope for a future without ALS. Money received supports Canadians living with ALS and research aimed at treating ALS.
“I participated in the Ice Bucket challenge, a fundraiser for ALS in the summer of 2014,” said Curry’s daughter, Karina Cranston during an interview with the Advertiser.
“Little did I know that when I had that bucket of ice dumped over my head … that I would be sitting with my dad … four months later listening to a doctor diagnose him with ALS.”
Daughter Trisha Lutter said, “From the start of dad’s illness, the family was told that there most likely would not be many years left with him. It was difficult to see him losing his basic functioning skills. However, at the same time, it has caused our family to have more of a focus on being together, growing together and getting even closer.”
The family expressed the desire to see effective medication developed to slow down the process, and an eventual cure.
Speaking for the whole family, Cranston and Lutter said, “We are blessed to have the time we have with dad. Don’t wait until your loved one is gone. Don’t take anything for granted.”
Curry is survived by his wife, Annette, three children and seven grandchildren. A celebration of his life will be held in the Drayton Reformed Church on July 9 at 11am.
