DENISE ROCA CURRY
From our start (the night you asked me out on a date to Kite Day as I was checking out of work on the time clock at The Boar’s Head Inn), I had a hunch there was something special about you. (Who else asks someone out on a first date the same night they are laid off from their job? What was it you did? Change out of your uniform before closing time?) Kite Day with you was amazingly wonderful and what a wildly wonderful journey it has been since then!
Even though I know I often annoy you to no end, I know you have my back. Thank you for putting up with me! There is no place I would rather be than with you. You are my home. After all these years, I would make the same choice of marrying you over and over. I love you, even when you are grumpy!
I have had the privilege to witness all your dedicated, hard work and the long hours you put into preparing for your classes and meetings at SUNY Potsdam to try to make SUNY Potsdam the best place for your students. From your early years, scurrying out of the house at 7:55am, exclaiming “I’m late for Gen Ed,” to all your battles with SUNY Presidents from Merwin, to Fallon, to Esterberg and all the ones in between, the dedication, thought and care you put into your job was unwavering. I was always impressed with the connections you built with your students. So many of them loved hanging out with you and learning from you. Many of them told me you were the best teacher they’ve ever had. You have made an enormous difference in so many lives! Like me, your students are lucky to have you be a part of their lives. I was fortunate to be able to meet many of them over the years, Karen Martino, Mark and Andrea (our house painters), Jeanne Segretto, Francis, Elsa, Ana, Michael Mishra, Matt Chick, Joe Hedger, Carrie, Avatar, Vita, Kate Nicole, Jacob, the student who went to Korea and sent us all those Korean snacks, Mark Lyon, John Coleman and many, many more who I’m not recalling at the moment.
I am so proud of you for sharing your talents with all of them in such an impactful way. Not many people can earn the incredible reviews that you can from your students.You have been an enormous success in your career!
I also enjoyed getting to know your colleagues, Joe and Sandy, Phil and Marlena, Judith and Howard, Brian and Kristie, Rachel, Tim and Mysti, Antonio and Jacqui, Mark, Richard and Paige. You made quite the impact on all of them with your dedication, hard work, talent and zest for teaching and doing philosophy.
I know your impressive career is not ending how you wished or ever imagined (thanks to the powers that be at SUNY not caring in the least about quality). You have undoubtedly made such a huge difference to so many, please know what a huge success you are and how very proud of you I am.
Raising our amazing, wonderful children with you has been the best! You are a wonderful father and I can’t imagine raising them without you! Your calm perseverance through the thick and thin of life and parenthood has made my job as a Mom delightful. I am so very grateful for all we have and you have been such a big part of all that. I’m still getting used to the idea that our kids are mostly married and that we are now Nise and Umpy and we already have 3 amazing granddaughters! I can’t imagine wanting to share all this with anybody else. I am so thankful I continue to feel so very lucky and I know it is mostly due to you!
My luck has me now enjoying freshly baked bread each week, awesome meals cooked by you and you always do dishes! You take care of the bill paying, you fix things that break in the house. Your care for me during TKR recovery was the best. Your care for our aging dogs is consistently thorough and steadfast. I can go on and on. I wish I could write as well as you to better express my love for you. Please know my love for you is deep.
Congrats on your well earned retirement. I know you will enjoy time for genealogy work, reading, writing and other hobbies. I’m jealous you get to retire before me, but I know two years will whiz by. I’m hoping and praying we have many, many more years together for our love to continue to grow.
Thank you for being my home!
Love you big time, D.