Tuscaloosa, Alabama’s First Black Department Head Passes Away
The City of Tuscaloosa recently lost an important historical figure.
One of Tuscaloosa's historical leaders has passed away, the city of Tuscaloosa announced Wednesday evening.
Richard A. Curry Jr. made history in Tuscaloosa as the first African American department head at the city of Tuscaloosa.
During his tenure of service, Mr. Curry served as the Director of Environmental Services from 1992 until he retired in 2005. According to a Facebook post by the City of Tuscaloosa, Curry is also the first African American to have a city building named after him. The original Richard A. Curry, Jr. Environmental Services Building was replaced by the one in the photo below in 2014, after the original building was destroyed in the April 27, 2011 tornado.
Their Facebook post also included a painting and plaque in Mr. Curry's honor that can be found in the Richard A. Curry, Jr. Environmental Services Complex.
Funeral arrangements for Mr. Curry are being handled by Van Hoose & Steele Funeral Home.
There will be a public viewing Friday, May 27, 2022, from 3:00 pm. - 6:00 p.m. at the Chapel of Van Hoose & Steele Funeral Home, Inc. 2615 Stillman Boulevard, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401.