As a longtime bit player and movie extra, 95-year-old Dalyce Curry hobnobbed with Hollywood A-listers and appeared in blockbuster films such as “The Blues Brothers” and “The Ten Commandments.”
But in her starring role she was the matriarch of an extended, adoring family who affectionally called her “Momma D.”
“Our beloved Momma D touched so many lives with her grace, love and resilience,” said her granddaughter, Lorée Beamer-Wilkinson of Fort Collins, Colorado. “She was full of vitality, elegance and an unmatched zest for life. Her presence graced our family gatherings, her wisdom guided us through challenges, and her laughter brought joy to every moment.”
Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1929, Curry relocated to Los Angeles, where her vocal and dancing skills caught the attention of some of Hollywood’s top Black actors and performers. She backed up singer Pearl Bailey and appeared in a scene with Diana Ross in “Lady Sings the Blues.”
“She would have done a lot more in Hollywood but had high integrity and wasn’t going to sell out to become become a star,” Beamer-Wilkinson said, adding that her grandmother once refused a producer’s demand that she hike up her skirt to spice up a movie scene.
Curry, who eventually settled for a nursing career, died alone in her small Altadena home after the Eaton fire tore through the community on the evening of Jan. 7.
Curry had spent part of that day undergoing medical tests at an area hospital. Following the appointment, Dalyce Kelley, who is Beamer-Wilkinson’s half-sister, drove her home, arriving around midnight.
Although flames were visible in the distant hills, the fire seemed to be far away from Curry’s residence.
There was no evacuation order in place, so an exhausted Curry went to bed. She doesn’t text and was likely asleep when emergency notification messages were sent out telling residents to immediately leave the area, Beamer-Wilkinson said.
Kelley, who requested that Curry’s…
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