Billy Jon Curb

Billy Jon Curb, 78, received his angel wings and new legs on Saturday, May 12, 2018, with his three favorite girls by his side. Bill was born on June 25, 1939 in Youngsport, Texas to William Thomas Curb and Ann Lenora (Walker) Curb. He will be remembered as a loyal and loving husband, daddy, Giedaddy, BeDaddy, brother, friend and colleague.
Bill graduated from Mansfield High School in 1957 and has maintained many friendships from his years there. He began his career with Chance Vought Aircraft in 1957 as a Technical Cooperative Student while attending Arlington State College, where he graduated in 1962 (in the first four-year class from the University of Texas at Arlington) with an Electrical Engineering degree. He retired from the same company (known by then as Lockheed Martin) 52.5833 years later as an Aerospace Engineer. Billy worked on many fascinating and prestigious projects such as: Sparta – Australia, Scout – Vandenberg AFB, Apollo – NASA, and MEADS Pac 3 – Germany. He won many awards for his outstanding dedication and work including Excellence and NOVA Awards.
Billy and Maurine met on a blind date (set up by Bill’s sister-in-law, Diane, who knew they’d be perfect for each other) and were married six weeks later, on June 30, 1966. Within days of their wedding, they moved to Australia where Billy began working on the Sparta project that launched Australia’s first satellite. The soulmates enjoyed years of Sunday School auto rallies, skating competitions, music lessons and performances, church, friends, and traveling.
After retirement, Bill enjoyed playing 42 with his best buddies Roger Bohannan, Ron Briggs, and Fray Webster, building miniatures as a member of the First Miniature Guild of Fort Worth (where he was loved by all), and playing poker at the Southlake Senior Center on Fridays (where he won so often, we were all afraid they weren’t going to let him come back). When able to take a break from his Honey Do List, he organized monthly lunches with fellow Lockheed Martin retirees, groomed and played with Siggi and Schatzi his miniature schnauzers, and attended countless games and events of his four grandchildren—whether in person or via cell phone technology.
Billy is survived by his wife of almost 52 years, Maurine, of Southlake, their daughter Kim and her husband Kirk Koogler and children Rebecca Taylor and Jon Mitchell of Southlake, daughter Kristi and her husband Salvatore Greco and children John and Chloé of Palermo, Sicily, brothers Tom Curb (Salado) and Doug Curb (Grapevine) and sister Anna Holaway (Burleson). He was preceded in death by his parents, and sons Christopher and Jon.
A celebration of Billy’s life will be held on Friday, May 18, at 2 pm, at First Baptist Church of Hurst.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Scottish Rite Hospital – Dallas, which held a special place in Bill’s heart because of the wonderful care he received there while recovering from polio, or to Baylor Scott & White – Grapevine, where he received the utmost loving care by wonderful physicians, nurses and staff members in his final days.