Lt. Colonel Lewis William Currier, Jr., 90

Passed away December 26, 2013 in West Palm Beach, Fl.
Although born August 8, 1923 in Chattanooga, TN, he was a lifelong resident of Delray Beach, Fl.

Lt. Col. Currier is survived by his children: Lewis William Currier, III (Arlene) of Sheridan, WY, Linda Banks Meunier (Kenneth) of Venice, Fl, Mary Currier LaCorte (Robert) of Davidson, NC, Joyce Currier Price (Warren) of Cary, NC, and Jonathan Edward Currier (Brooke) of Palm Beach Gardens, and one sister, Charlotte Ann(e) Currier Schneiter of Jupiter, Fl. , 12 grandchildren, 5 great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by parents Lewis W. Currier and Stella Currier Abrams of Delray Beach, Florida, and sister Maxine Currier Rice of Brewster, MA.

A lifelong native of Delray Beach, Lt. Col. Currier was a three-war veteran of WW II, and the Korean and Vietnam wars. Serving his country for more than 27 years, he enjoyed a long and exciting career in the US Air Force beginning as a Bombadier/Navigator in the US Army/Air Corps (which later became the US Air Force). During the early '60s and through the Cuban Missile he was stationed with the Air Force Technical Applications Center in Washington, DC (AFTAC), and had numerous assignments out of the country in Operations and Nuclear Detection, finally retiring from Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma City, OK.

In addition to his military experiences, he was a committed family man and always ready for an adventure. He grew up in Delray Beach in the family home his father built on N. Swinton Avenue. His father was the elementary school principal and he often reported that he could never get away with "anything". They later farmed together and were best friends.

He loved swimming and surfing, even building a surfboard in his teenage years. He spent many midnight hours on the beach watching sea turtles lay their eggs. Loving pranks himself, he was also a good sport and loved to laugh, even when waking up to discover he had been the unwitting victim of beauty-shop playtime. He strongly encouraged both formal and informal educational experiences, and took every opportunity to always teach his children and grandchildren lessons about the world and how things work.

A huge world and history buff, Lt. Col. Currier took his family with him around the country and the world to faraway lands - climbing mountains in Japan, exploring the ruins and history of Greece and Rome, riding elephants in Thailand, visiting US national parks, jet skiing on 80th birthday and so many more adventures. He was an avid photographer and many spent hours cataloging and documenting his travels.

In his spare time he enjoyed music, reading and old movies. In the '90s, he and his youngest son restored a 1950 Studebaker convertible to it's original condition, trailering it to Indiana for a national Studebaker competition where they took First Place.

During his retirement he returned to Delray Beach and among other efforts, established the Currier Palm Tree Nursery, populating South Florida with disease resistant palms from seed he imported from Australia. In his later years, he enjoyed reminiscing about his adventures and past history of the United States and the world.

He received his BA from the University of Maryland, while stationed in Washington, DC.

Visitation will be held Monday, December 30, 2013 at Lorne & Sons in Delray Beach from 6-8 pm. Funeral will be at 11:30 am, 1st Baptist Church, Delray Beach. Burial, with full military honors, will be held immediately following the service at the South Florida National Military Cemetary in Lake Worth.

For more information and to leave condolences for the family, visit LorneandSons.com.