Maralyn Anne Curry, age 86, of Grand Rapids, passed away on Friday, April 21, 2017 at Faith Hospice at Trillium Woods, Byron Center, surrounded by family. 

The daughter of Samuel Clayton & Minnie Mae (Smith) Groves, she was born on November 14, 1930 in Windom, MN. Maralyn married Stanton Jay Curry, August 22, 1950 in Windom. 

A member of Woodlawn Christian Reformed Church, Maralyn served alongside her husband, an ordained American Baptist Minister, in IA and IL. Together they spent much of their retirement volunteering for a variety of organizations, including Habitat for Humanity and the Catholic Worker House in Los Angeles. Maralyn attended Bethel College (now Bethel University) in St. Paul, MN, Nyack Bible College in Nyack, NY and graduated from Nazareth College (now SpaldingUniversity) in Louisville, KY. She went on to receive her Master’s degree in guidance counseling from Western Illinois University and worked for many years as a guidance counselor at Canton High School in Canton, IL until her retirement.  She and Jay moved to Grand Rapids, in 2006 to be near her daughter.

Maralyn was a connector who built strong friendships, welcomed newcomers, and always ministered to others.  She maintained email correspondence with her far flung extended family and was always ready for an adventure to a new place, for meeting her granddaughter for coffee, and ready to arrange for dinner with new or old friends. Her family will miss her for the connector role that she played in our family along with her strength of her Christian faith that shaped her character and life. 

Maralyn was preceded in death by her loving husband, Jay Curry; parents; sister, Ruth Ludeman; and brother-in-law, Dennis Hasz. Surviving are her three children, Dr. Steven (Ann) Curry, Phoenix, AZ, Dr. Janel Curry, Hamilton, MA, and Brian Curry, San Diego, CA; seven grandchildren, Matthew (Misty) Curry, Rachel (Robert) Hart, Aaron Curry, Marie Roper, Karis Roper, Katherine Curry, Julia Curry; two great-granddaughters,  Taylor and Grace Curry; two sisters, Nancy (Don) Gilberg of Bloomington, MN and Sue Hasz of Ellendale, ND; brother-in-law, Ivan Ludeman; along with many nieces, grandnieces and nephews.  

Honoring her wishes, cremation will take place and a celebration of life service will be at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, April 24, 2017 at Breton Woods, Breton Terrace Chapel, 2500 Breton Woods Dr. SE. Burial will take place at a later date in Lakeview Cemetery, Windom, MN.

In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to CEPAD-USA, a Christian development organization that works in Nicaragua at: CEPAD-USA, PO Box 1679, Brevard, NC 28712. 

Arrangements are entrusted to Michigan Cremation & Funeral Care, Grand Rapids.