- Date Of Birth: March 25, 1956
- Date Of Death: January 17, 2022
- State: Michigan
Stanley Howard Custard Jr. (Curly) was born March 25, 1956 in Ferndale, Michigan. Both parents, Stanley and Dorothy Custard Sr., have gone on to glory. Curly was the fourth of thirteen children. Although he was left developmentally disabled early in infancy, his mother and father made sure he was baptized in Christ Jesus and that he regularly attended church. Curly loved church so much that he joined many times over, whenever and wherever he attended. Although limited in verbal speech and mental capacities, his confession of Christ was expressed in praising God at church and at home. He was even caught mimicking as a preacher.
Curly enjoyed going to school and interacting with others who attended the educational and vocational programs for people with special needs. He was so adamant about attending school that he got up early every morning, eager to dress and very excited about the bus ride. The bus ride to school was a plus because Curly was very fascinated with buses and cars. He not only enjoyed riding in them but he also was attracted to observing maintenance on them. He sometimes tried to quick fix and start those old carburetor cars with a screw driver and pliers. Curly’s avid love for taking things apart and putting them back together inspired hobbies like puzzles and model cars. This also inspired him to tinker with all his TVs, radios, bikes and other devices. Many times he was successful, even boosting the signal of his old TVs and radios with a homemade aluminum foil antenna.
People gravitated to Curly because he had a quiet and friendly spirit – – never complaining but always smiling. Curly entertained himself with music, dancing and riding his exercise bike. He often listened to Christian music and sermons. He also enjoyed fishing and eating good food.
Curly loved his family very much and leaves to cherish his memory: five brothers, Joseph, Terrance, Raynard (Michelle), Duane (Romona), David (Tara); three sisters, Deborah Owens, Beverly Beckem (James), and Dorothy Caldwell (Albert); and a host of in-laws, uncles, aunts, nephews, nieces, cousins and other relatives and friends. (Four brothers preceded him in death – William, Reginald, Johnny, Timothy);
