John Foster Curry May 1, 1930 - September 26, 2008 - HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SC - John Curry, 78, of Hilton Head Island, died Friday September 26, 2008 at Hilton Head Hospital. Mr. Curry was president of The Curry Company, a resort operations and international consulting firm. His career began at Yosemite National Park, where his family's company operated all concessions and hotel operations. Curry later moved to the Walt Disney Co., where he worked as administrator of hotel planning and director of resort operations for Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL. He came to Hilton Head Island to serve as executive vice president of Sea Pines Company. He later formed Sand Dollar Management, a property management company. Mr. Curry was one of the main proponents for making Hilton Head its own town so it could enact its own zoning regulations and laws. Mr. Curry served as chairman of the state Hotel and Motel Association, and for 17 years led the Hilton Head Chamber of Commerce's Visitor and Convention Bureau. He also was chairman of the Hilton Head Island Olympic Task Force. He served as the trustee for Hilton Head Holdings bankruptcy, from 1986 to 1987. Mr. Curry oversaw resort operations, as well as working to keep the Heritage Classic professional golf tournament on Hilton Head. He helped to establish the Heritage Classic Foundation, a nonprofit group that took over staging the tournament, in 1982 and served on its board until his death. He was a member of Beaufort County Aviation Board; both the South Carolina and Hilton Head accommodations tax committees; the Congressional Travel and Tourism Caucus Advisory Board; and SC 2000, a group created to implement the recommendations of the Commission on the Future of South Carolina. In 1972, he was named the Alice Glenn Doughtie Citizen of the Year by the Hilton Head Chamber of Commerce. In 1987, he was awarded the Order of the Palmetto by Gov. Richard Riley for administering the National Governors' Association Conference, held on the island. In 1993, he received the Fred Brinkman Award at the SC Governor's Conference on Tourism and Travel. He was a member of the Rotary Club of Hilton Head, and First Presbyterian Church of Hilton Head. Mr. Curry is survived by his wife Valerie of 36 years; sons, Daivid (Rozana) of Burbank, CA, Edward (Kelly) of Toluka Lakes, Ca, and Donn of Portland, OR; grandchildren, Matthew and Adam; a brother David of Berkley, CA; and a former daughter-in-law, Lynn Curry. He was preceded in death by his twin sister Jeanette, and his first wife Martha Weathersbee Curry. A memorial service will be held on Monday September 29, at 2:00 PM, at First Presbyterian Church, 540 Wm. Hilton Pkwy. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Heritage Classic Foundation Charitable, 71 Lighthouse Road, Suite 4200, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928. The Island Funeral Home and Crematory Savannah Morning News September 28, 2008 Please sign our Obituary Guest Book at savannahnow.com/obituaries .