Obituary of Duncan Steele Curry

August 4, 1940 – Winnipeg, Manitoba

November 24, 2024 – Calgary, Alberta

Beloved husband, father, grandfather, uncle, and brother, Steele Curry died peacefully, surrounded by close family on Sunday, November 24, 2024.

Predeceased by his parents, Constance Noreen Curry (Murphy) and Peter Duncan Curry, and his sister Kathleen Curry, Steele was a larger-than-life international man of mystery, whose impact was felt on everyone who met him.

He is mourned by his adoring wife of 44 years, Judy, his loving son Beau, his devoted daughters, Serena (grandson Jack and his father Tyler) and Jade (grandson Zephyr and his father Mike), his brother-in-law Stephen (wife Rhonda), his brothers, Mark and Patrick, and his nephews and nieces, Ben and Sophie, Sabrina, (husband Jon, Cole and Julia), Zachary (wife Lynn, Victoria and Charlie), Matthew (wife Brooke), Simon (Eloise and Milo), and Xavier and Sylva.

Steele had a long and notable business career. After attending Ridley College, Steele received his BA from Stanford University in 1962 and an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1964.  His more than 40 years of business experience included being the CEO of Revelstoke Companies, a successful publicly traded retail organization. He also started a tool rental business with The Home Depot and created Gobbles Restaurant.

While Steele’s businesses were successful and varied, it was his involvement in the boards, charities, and mentoring that made him truly legendary. As a board member of The Salvation Army, Steele raised countless dollars for the Centre of Hope. He was a member of the Business Council on National Issues and devoted countless hours to the Alberta Mentor Foundation for Youth (AMFY), where he served as the board chair from 2003–2008, and vice-chair of the board of directors of Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Calgary and Area from 2008–2016. Not only was Steele pivotal in the merger of AMFY and Big Brothers and Big Sisters, but he also served as a mentor to multiple protegees, fostering deep connections with many young students who he kept in contact with throughout his entire life (and who held a very special place in his heart). His love of mentoring extended so far that he wrote the Citizen of the World Guides, in order to share his wisdom on tips for success in life.

Those who knew Steele will know that among travelling, ski trips to Aspen, visits to East Meadows, and later in life, summers in Skiathos, Greece, with his family and friends, his real passion (other than mentoring) was reading and collecting mystery novels. From 2008–2012, Steele was a member of the board of directors of the Bouchercon National organization and for the latter year, served as Co-Chair together with Mike Bursaw. At the Bouchercon convention in 2017, he received the Don Sandstrom Memorial Award for Lifetime Achievement in Mystery Fandom and served on the Barry Award nominating committee for Deadly Pleasures magazine (for which he was a contributor, most notably his annual column, My Greek Reading Feast, where he would detail his numerous reads each summer). Steele’s comprehensive collection of books was so formidable that in 2021, he donated it to the University of Calgary, which agreed to keep it intact as The Steele Curry Mystery, Espionage and Thriller Collection.

Steele’s larger-than-life personality enriched everyone around him. His booming voice and joie de vivre will forever be unmatched. He shone a bright light of kindness and encouragement on everyone lucky enough to know him. He will be greatly missed.

Donations can be made in memory of Steele to the charity of your choice. The family kindly requests no flowers.

Condolences, memories, and photos may be shared and viewed with Steele’s family here.

In living memory of Steele Curry, a tree will be planted in the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area by McInnis & Holloway Funeral Homes, Heritage, 1708 – 16th Avenue NW, Calgary, AB, T2M 0L7, Telephone: 403-299-0100.