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Joseph R. Curley

Saturday morning, Jan. 15, 2011, Joe went home to his place in Heaven.

He lived every day of his 68 years with exuberant energy and liveliness. He would say that his happiest 44 years were with his loving and devoted wife, Bobbie Curley. Together they were a team who always approached life as a joyful discovery. They built a house the whole family would call home, they cultivated lovely friendships, traveled to their favorite places, grew grapes and produced award-winning wine.

Along with his wife, Bobbie, he will also be watching from heaven his much-loved daughters, Madelyn Curley Minehan and Mindy Curley Luby; sons-in-law, Mike Minehan and Davis Luby; grandchildren, Kayla, Kylee and Kacy Minehan and AJ, Julia and Sierra Luby; and mother-in-law, Dee Sellards (all of Sonoma).

As a husband, he served and adored his wife and gave her a life of supreme happiness. As a father and grandfather, he taught and demonstrated love and compassion and guided all with his moral compass. As a genius craftsman and entrepreneur, he built homes and buildings of amazing beauty. His true love was his family and his passion was encouraging others to see their own ability in themselves.

He left this earth with a legacy of love and speckled the landscape with beauty that flowed from his imagination, to his heart and through his hands.

Joe was born in San Francisco to Dorothy and Joseph T. Curley, attended St. John's Grammar School and Marin Catholic High School and lived his teenage years in Marin County.

He served in the United States Air Force Reserve and also as a deputy sheriff for the Marin County Sheriff's Department. He worked as a residential and commercial building inspector for the cities of Petaluma, Vallejo and San Rafael and retired in 2005. In his retirement, he enjoyed his family, friends, vineyards, winemaking and building.

Joe leaves us knowing that we are loved to the fullest, and he has taught us that there isn't anything we can't do. Our lasting memory is that he made it his duty to care, guide and provide for those he loves. He was a kind and generous man who will live forever in our hearts.

All are welcome to celebrate his life at a memorial service Saturday, Jan. 22, at 10 a.m. at Duggans Mission Chapel, 525 W. Napa St., in Sonoma.