Patrick Curry

Patrick Allen Curry, 65, left us unexpectedly on April 13, 2026. He was born September 23, 1960, in Billings, Montana, to Claude (CJ) and Mavis Curry.

Pat graduated from Billings West High School in 1978 where he was a standout athlete in football, basketball and baseball. He was a two-year letterman in football and basketball for the Golden Bears. He was a pitcher for the Billings Scarlets American Legion baseball team, and as a member of the 1976 Scarlets they won the State A title. The 1976 Scarlets were inducted into the Billings American Legion Baseball Hall of Fame in 2009.

He went on to play football at the University of Montana from 1978-1981 where he was an All-American D-Lineman, a first team Big Sky Conference selection at defensive end and was honored as UM’s outstanding junior. In 1981, he received the Larry Miller Award (now Sims-Miller Award) honoring UM’s outstanding defensive lineman and was also selected as a Big Sky Conference Player of the week. Pat was known for his “Grizzly Growl” which, for many years, was played at the Grizzly football games and on local Missoula commercials. He played in several pre-season games for the Seattle Seahawks and later joined the San Francisco 49ers. He left professional football to care for his Dad following an automobile accident.

Pat worked in the investment field at McLaughlin, Piven & Vogel on Wall Street and Paine Webber when he returned to Montana. He then went on to work for Lever Brothers as a sales manager in Seattle and Los Angeles. Montana called him home and he continued his sales career with Cogswell Insurance in Great Falls and A & I Distributors in Billings. Feeling the call to public service, Pat joined the Billings Police Department in 1996 as a patrol officer. He later became a school resource officer at Lewis & Clark Middle School, Billings Senior High and Will James Middle School. He was awarded the National Association of School Resource Officers regional service award. In 2008, he was promoted to Sergeant and continued in that capacity until his retirement in 2022.

True to his Grizzly roots, he met Cherie McManus Higgason at a 1996 Grizzly function. They each had season tickets to Griz football and trekked to Missoula to watch the games from their respective seats – Pat on the East side and Cherie on the West. In 1999, Cherie and Pat were married in Jamaica and in 2001 their son Cole (Colepepper) was born.

Pat was a natural coach and embraced his role in helping guide area youth, from coaching football at Great Falls High to Rocky Mountain College and then T-ball, Little League and Little Guy football when Cole was old enough to begin his athletic career. He loved the great outdoors, spending time fishing and camping with his family and friends; Griz and Rocky football; Penguins hockey; and diligently helping Cherie in her garden endeavors. Pat was a storyteller beyond compare and loved spreading his “Curryisms” to whoever would listen. He was a friend to everyone he met, a man of many words and endless laughter. His love and friendship for family and friends will be remembered and cherished forever. An amazing Husband, Father and Friend – gone too soon.

Pat is survived by his wife, Cherie, and son, Cole; his siblings Claudine Wanner, Wade (Mary Jo) Curry, Debbie (Win) Seitz; Uncle Farrel (Donna) Griffin, Aunts Sharon Pickens, Cecilia Johnson, Ellie Griffin; many cousins, nieces, nephews; in-laws Jean (Jim) Senst, Larry (Linda) McManus III, and too many friends to count. He was predeceased by his parents; uncles, Arlen and Mike Griffin; and in-laws, Larry and Yoshiko McManus, Jr.

A Memorial Service will be held at 11:00am Friday, May 1, 2026, at First Presbyterian Church of Billings, with a private family interment following the service. A livestream broadcast of the service will be available on this page.

Pat was a Mason and member of Cascade Lodge #34 in Great Falls, a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity and the Grizzly Scholarship Association. In lieu of flowers, please consider memorials to the Grizzly Scholarship Association (Adams Center 139, Missoula, MT 59812), Billings Police Protective Association (Box 2104, Billings, MT 59103-2104), or Sigma Chi Building Foundation (P.O. Box 16894, Missoula, MT 59808).