In Memoriam
Walt & Catherine Currie

Catherine's Obituary

Catherine Shelburn Currie, 91, died peacefully at her home on Lake Conway on May 2,
2026, an auspicious day coinciding with the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby.

An only daughter and an enduring supporter of the Bluegrass State, Catherine was born in
Louisville on September 4, 1934 to Rothy Dell Shelburn and John William Shelburn.
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 Rothy 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.
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.

The shape and content of Catherine’s adult life began in 1950 when she met Walter F.
Currie, a tall lanky 10th grade classmate at Atherton High. The two would date, finish
high school together, and attend the University of Kentucky in Lexington. After
graduation, Catherine and Walt married, they moved to Bainbridge, Georgia where they
bore their first son Scott (1957), and they later moved to Japan with the US Air Force
where they bore their second son Beau (1959).

Walt left active duty 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 on Louvre Avenue 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 to
Walt, a vibrant Orlando social life, sunsets on Lake Conway, and countless Kentucky
Derby parties. She supported the Orlando Magic and the Dr. Phillips Center. She 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.

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.

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.
Catherine is survived in life by her two sons Scott Currie (Liz) of Mosier, Oregon and
Beau Currie (Mary) of Windermere, Florida; her 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 celebration of life for Catherine and her late husband Walt on June
28, 2026 from 2:00pm - 5:00pm in the 1911 Room of 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.