Border mourns sudden death of sportsman and activist Curry

With the sudden recent death of Norman Oswald Curry, better known simply as “N.O.," Southern Africa and the Border region in particular have lost a truly remarkable personality, sportsman and science educationist. He was 76.

Born in East London, Curry was educated at Selborne College, St Andrew’s College and Rhodes University, where he graduated with a BSC degree.

He later gained postgraduate degrees in science, including a master’s in applied science at the Curtin University of Technology in Perth, Australia.

He was an accomplished sportsman, having represented Border, Western Province B and Namibia in cricket; squash for Border, SA Country Districts and Namibia as well as taking part in the British and later, world championship squash competitions

He played hockey at masters level for Border and tennis on the “Sugar Circuit.”

His trophy cabinet was adorned with medals in windsurfing, yachting, mountain running and surf-ski paddling.

“N.O.” was also an accomplished sports coach, having coached cricket, rugby and squash at school, provincial, international and tertiary levels.

He was the brother-in-law of former England cricket captain Tony Greig, having married Greig’s younger sister, Molly Joy, in 1981 and they had two sons, Alexander and Greig.

In 2021, he married Fiona Schwulst (née Farr,) a childhood friend in the suburb of Stirling in East London where they both grew up.

Fiona is the daughter of a former editor of the Daily Dispatch, the late George Farr, and his wife, Betty.

Curry, the author of several notable science education publications, was a geologist by profession and in later years a highly regarded science educator, teaching and lecturing at all levels in the education system in SA, Malawi, Australia and Namibia.

He later formed his own education consultancy which conducted teacher training courses for various SA universities.

On a personal level, Curry was a prominent antiapartheid activist all his life, having been influenced by his parents on the injustices of apartheid.

This led him to leave the country in the 1970s, returning only in 1994 after the first democratic elections.

His trophy cabinet was adorned with medals in windsurfing, yachting, mountain running and surf-ski paddling