Curley Merriweather

Curley was born on July 19, 1931 in Denmark, Tennessee, the seventh of eight siblings (James, Howard, Devernice, Lessie, Leonard, Viola and Gwendolyn) to Lovie and Lydia Day Merriweather. Known for his tall, lanky frame, wide smile and his quick mind, Curley's family moved to Jackson, Tennessee, where he graduated from Merry High School in 1949. He enrolled for two years at nearby Lane College, then followed his brothers into the military, enlisting in the Air Force and serving in France and Germany. After completing his service, he eventually followed other siblings to Chicago, working first at a Veterans Hospital, and later moving into the hospitality industry. In 1961, Curley married Annie Mae Williams and in 1962 they had a son, Nicholas.

Curley was an entrepreneur at heart. In 1959, he formed a partnership with his brother Howard and friends to create a magazine, called Proof. Later, he successfully owned the Nefertiti Jewelry store in Hyde Park, and eventually, owned and managed the restaurant in the Belcrest Hotel in South Shore. By 1974, Curley, Annie and Nicholas moved to Denver, where Curley worked as a catering and restaurant manager in a number of downtown hotels, including the Holiday Inn, Radisson, and the Hilton. He eventually joined the Cherry Creek Inn, from which he retired in 1993.

Throughout his varied career, Curley was also an accomplished jewelry maker and artist. Having sold many of his paintings and jewelry, he also generously shared them with his family and friends. He was very knowledgeable about gems, particularly diamonds, and in retirement, he joined Brendan Jewelers as a part-time salesman. In fact, he worked there up until he was 75 years old.

Curley had many other interests as well. He was a gourmet cook, who loved fine wines. He was a runner and stayed fit by running through City Park. He enjoyed tinkering with his European sports cars and he loved jazz: Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughn, Thelonius Monk, Edith Piaf, among others. For most of his adult life, Curley read the National Geographic magazine from cover to cover, and was always prepared to discuss international affairs and world history. His favorite phrase was "I bet you didn't know that…" since Curley was able to retain a wealth of obscure facts that he was always willing to share with his audience.

A beloved husband of Annie and father of Nicholas, Curley is also survived by his sister, Gwendolyn Miller (Paul) of Kansas City, Mo and numerous nieces, nephews, grandnieces, grandnephews and cousins from throughout the country. In his role as family patriarch, Curley's influence can't be overestimated, and will certainly be missed.