OBITUARY

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume LXIV, Issue 6579, 25 October 1939, Page 2

OBITUARY

DOUGLAS EDWARD CURRY

A young life full of promise was orought to a sudden end on Monday morning when Douglas Curry, after a 24-hour period of unconsciousness, pas sed away writes the Eketahuna Express of October 19. He left the home ox his aunt, Mrs G. T. Allen, where he lived, at 9.15 a.m. on Sunday to join some other committee members of the Cricket club at the Domain. His bicycle was missing and it was thought he had gone by road. He did not l-eturn for lunch and it was presumed that lunch had been sent up to the ground. When he did not return for tea uneasiness was felt and this turned to alarm when darkness fell and he still did not return. All inquiries reached u dead end and it was thought he had perhaps gone off in a car and had been unable to get back. Virgil was kept until after midnight and it began again at 5,30 a.m. but still no trace of his movements could be found. The news came that he had been found in Mr Fred Olsen's paddock quite near to the Domain. He had gone across the fields. The weather was mild and he had not suffered from exposure. Messrs Fred Oisen and J. H. Jewitt brought him on a stretcher to the former's farm home, and Dr. Simmers was soon in attendance and the ambulance was summoned from Pahiatua with Dr. Paterson, junr., to attend his removal to hospital, but before he could be moved the end came.

An inquest was held on Tuesday morning at Pahiatua, to where the body had been taken, Constable McCowan giving formal evidence of identification. The post mortem later in the day revealed the cause of death as an aneurism of the brain, trouble from which could have developed at any time since his birth, though it also could have lain dormant over a further period. As it was he went out from a life that was filled to the brim with work and wholesome play, with eager anticipation of the cricket and swimming season, with the joy of living and good feeling towards every person he had ever known. Douglas was born nearly 18 years ago at Akaroa and was the youngest of a family of eight. He came to Eketahuna a year ago and joined the staff of the "Express" and in a year had taken charge of the making up of the paper. He also had an aptitude for writing football reports of which a seasoned reporter need not have been ashamed. A baritone voice of unusually fine quality, for all his youth, was under training.

The many beautiful floral tributes included those from the Cricket Club and his associates at the "Express," and very many expressions of sympathy have been received. His parents arrived on Tuesday and the coincidence that every person mentioning him has said "Douglas was such a happy boy," has been a source of great comfort to them. At the graveside at Kelvin Grove cemetery yesterday afternoon, Rev. J. Hubbard, M.A., 8.D., referred to the same quality in deceased. The pall-bearers were Messrs P. Robinson and H. Higginson (Cricket Club), Harold and Robert Steer and W. Morrison (Football Club), and Donald Anderson ("Express").