In Memoriam
Walt & Catherine Currie

Walt & Catherine's Obituary

Walt and Catherine Currie died peacefully at their home on Lake Conway in recent months. Walt 
passed on on November 3, 2025 with family at his side after a valiant, decade-long battle against 
cancer. Catherine passed on May 2, 2026, an auspicious day coinciding with the 152nd running of the 
Kentucky Derby.

Catherine’s childhood years were highlighted by an extraordinary bond with her mother, a 
relationship based on honesty and trust that grew ever stronger throughout their adult lives. 
Catherine was independent, responsible, and mature from an early age, traits recognized by her 
mother and rewarded with a level of freedom unheard of among her childhood friends. Catherine never 
had a curfew, a badge of honor worn proudly at the time and one that always brought a smile when 
she reminisced about her youth.

During Walt’s youth, his father owned and operated Currie Sound Systems, a small independent 
business providing loud speakers and microphones to stage productions, concerts, and local venues. 
Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby, was one such venue. Walt would often tag along with 
his dad, initially to observe but later to help set up and disassemble sound equipment. As a 
consequence, Walt would develop a passion for stereo music, a talent for electronics, and an 
understanding of life as a small business owner.

One result of Catherine’s early push for self-determination was a series of summer jobs working as 
a retail sales clerk for various Louisville clothing stores. It was here in these small shops that 
Catherine incubated a budding fashion sense that would later bloom into an uncommon and delightful 
personal style punctuated with sparkles, sequins, animal prints, and playful glamour. Her closet 
was a joyful explosion of color, and she was widely believed to own the zippiest collection of 
fashion sneakers in Central Florida. No event or errand was too mundane, and she steadfastly 
refused to wear anything outside the house she considered boring.

Their lives together began in 1950 when the two met in the 10th grade at Atherton High School in 
Louisville. They would date, finish high school, and attend the University of Kentucky in 
Lexington. They were both lifelong UK Wildcats, consistently donating to the university, dressing 
in Kentucky Blue, and cheering the school’s athletic programs.

Following their studies in Lexington, Walt and Catherine married, moved to Bainbridge, Georgia 
where they bore their first son Scott (1957), and moved to Japan with the US Air
Force where they bore their second son Beau (1959).


Walt left active duty as a First Lieutenant in 1959, and not long thereafter the young couple - 
healthy, fearless, and full of optimism - packed their possessions and took their talents to the 
Sunshine State. The two immediately founded Currie Aerospace Associates, an independent sales 
organization representing national electronics manufacturers. The company’s first office was in the 
spare bedroom of their rented house in Lake Conway Estates. Walt served as the company’s chief 
sales engineer while Catherine served as secretary. Currie Aerospace Associates, later renamed 
Currie, Peak, and Frazier, Inc., eventually grew to employ 36 people, and Catherine’s early 
contributions were instrumental to getting the business off the ground.

Life in Central Florida brought much satisfaction and joy: a seventy-year marriage, a vibrant 
Orlando social life, slalom skiing on Lake Conway, sailing journeys on their
30-footer the Savoir Faire, croquet matches at the Country Club of Orlando, bluegrass on the 
stereo, and countless Kentucky Derby parties.

Catherine served on the board of Friends of American Art, and she helped establish croquet at the 
Country Club of Orlando. Catherine was especially proud of her work as a co-founder of Sweet 
Charity, a charitable organization raising over $400,000 to support programs in the local 
community.

Walt was a savvy individual investor and a perpetual student of the financial markets. A tireless 
advocate of duplex real estate economics, he and Catherine designed and built a 14-unit apartment 
building on a quiet Orlando street in 1969. They were thirty-five years of age at the time. It was 
a bold move for the young couple, and Palmer Terrace Apartments would become central to life in the 
Currie family for the next five decades.

Catherine was perpetually grateful for her life, and she was a force for good. She consistently 
looked for ways to give back and support those in need or less fortunate. If your house burned to 
the ground, she would reach into her purse and hand over some money. If you needed furniture, she 
would look around her house and insist that you take something of hers. If your child was in need, 
she would write a check. She believed everyone at some point could use a hand up, and she never 
failed to offer hers.

Catherine also felt deeply that all of humanity deserved respect and equality, and she never backed 
away from the chance to defend someone she felt had suffered prejudice or disrespect. She made it 
her business, and she did not look the other way.

Walt was a beloved husband, father, and grandfather. A big believer in the power of knowledge, Walt 
never failed to support the educational pursuits of his family. He believed people should 
understand how things worked - the heavens, an outboard motor, our place in history - and he was 
quick to teach what he knew. Walt was drawn to encyclopedias, reference books, and operating 
manuals, and he leaves a legacy of independence, self-reliance, and proficiency. He was a durable, 
private man.

Catherine was a beloved wife, mother, and grandmother. She was enormously proud of her family, and 
she let them know at every opportunity. Always generous with her time and her advice, she worked 
tirelessly over the years to establish and maintain close relationships regardless of distance. She 
was intentional and determined. She was a communicator and a connector, prioritizing and placing 
enormous value on the strength of her relationships. You could count on Catherine to be there on 
Grandparents Day.

Walt and Catherine are survived in life by their two sons Scott Currie (Liz) of Mosier, Oregon and 
Beau Currie (Mary) of Windermere, Florida, together with their five grandchildren: Trevor Currie 
(Annie) of Missoula, Montana, Lucas Currie of Playa Grande, Costa Rica, Charles Summers 
(Anastasiya) of New York City, New York, Nathan Currie of Hailey, Idaho, and Amanda Summers (Geri) 
of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The family will host a reception for Walt and Catherine’s friends on June 28, 2026 from 2:00pm to 
5:00pm in the 1911 Room at the Country Club of Orlando. Later in the year, the family will also 
hold a private memorial service at Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville during which Catherine's 
cremated remains will be interred next to Walt in a section of
the cemetery originally arranged by Colonel George E. Currie in 1894.