Curry, Richard J. (Father)

Jesuit Father Richard J. Curry, professor of Catholic studies and theater at Georgetown University and founder of Dog Tag Bakery in Washington, D.C., died on December 19, 2015, at Manresa Hall Jesuit Community in Philadelphia. He was 72.

Fr. Curry had served as director of the Academy for Veterans, a program assisting veterans returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan who have been disabled in the line of duty with emotional rehabilitation, employment assistance and other services.

Dog Tag Bakery, which he founded in December 2014, employs and teaches tangible business skills to veterans and their spouses. Fr. Curry was also a professional chef and the author of two cookbooks: “Secrets of Jesuit Breadmaking” and “Secrets of Jesuit Soupmaking.”

Prior to coming to Georgetown, Fr. Curry founded the National Theater Workshop of the Handicapped in New York, helping to train and promote handicapped actors and performers. His efforts were highlighted in a profile on 60 Minutes. His own disability of having been born without a right hand was a driving force to help others with physical challenges excel and reach their dreams.

A Jesuit Brother since 1964, Fr. Curry was ordained to the priesthood in 2009. He received the Distinguished Service Award of the President’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities in 1987, and received 25 honorary degrees from universities and colleges, including Georgetown University and Fordham University. He earned a Ph.D. in theater from New York University in 1977.