Curry Bishop didn’t just live in Haliburton – he spent a lifetime serving Haliburton as an exemplary Rotarian for just over 59 years. Curry’s been the “Dean of the House” so to speak for Haliburton’s Club for decades. In fact, he was so dedicated to Rotary meetings, that he had perfect attendance for 56 years. Even as an honourary member at 91 years old, he continued to attend club meetings regularly. I fondly remember the cake and singing happy birthday to him when he turned 90 last year, and just a month ago he proudly won our internal club game that had been running for over a year.

The Rotary Club aims to improve our community through service projects and community events. Curry was always keen to play his part and led many initiatives such as the summer carnival over the years. He also led the club as president in 1968/1969. He received several Rotary awards including the Fred Jones Rotarian of the Year award in 1990 and the Rotary Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019. One of Curry’s favourite Rotary activities was selling tickets for the annual car draw. He’d stand on the street for hours passionately encouraging community members and cottagers to support the club’s community projects by buying tickets. He outsold every other member for years.

Curry’s a tough act to follow as a Rotarian when you consider how dedicated he’s been over the years. He led by example to younger Rotarians who learned about the commitment it takes to serve well. We’re so grateful to have had him join our club in weekly fellowship and service for all these years. Curry will be missed by all of us, and we owe him a debt of gratitude for his endless commitment to serving Haliburton. 

Submitted by Ursula Devolin,
Rotary Club of Haliburton president