Dearrel F. "Curley" Cearley Obit

Dearrel F. "Curley" Cearley died with his wife at his side in Seneca District Hospital, Chester, Saturday night, Aug. 10, 2002, at age 81.

born Jan. 6, 1921, in Hotsprings, Ark., Mr Cearley was the son of the late Jesse and Mary Lewis Cearley. He was raised in Geary, Okla. He served his country during World War II in the European theater and the Phillippine Liberation as a member of the U.S. Army where he was a special vehicle operator with the 1301st Engineers. Following his discharge from the military he went to work for AC Transit in the South Bay area working for them for 19 years. Following his retirement he purchased the Knights Landing Sports Center which he operated for 25 years. According to his family members, "he was an avid outdoorsman and a passionate sturgeon fisherman. He was admired and sought after by many of his fishing expertise of the Knights Landing area and was a longtime Sacramento River sturgeon record holder." He moved to Chester in June 1992 following the sale of his business. He had been a longtime member of the Knights Landing Sportsman Club.

Mr. Cearley is survived by his wife of 53 years, Nancie Cearley of Chester; children, John of Yuba City, Sandra Thomas of Carmichael, Jerry and David, both of Knights Landing, and Jan Cearley-Smith of Woodland; brothers, Denver of McKinney, Texas, and Farris of Pinole; sisters, Hazel Crause of Knights Landing, Norma Lusk of Amarillo, Texas, Maxine Purser of Yukon, Okla. and Iris Chacey of Norman, Okla.; 13 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Following cremation at Fehrman Crematory in Quincy, a celebration of Mr. Cearley's life along with military honors was conducted Thursday, Aug. 15, at the graveside of Chester District Cemetery. An opportunity to leave the family a personal memorial tribute is available online at www.fehrmanmortuary.com.

The family requests memorials be directed to Long Term Care Unit of the Seneca Health Care District, c/o Fehrman Mortuary and Crematory, P.O. Box 803, Greensville, 95947.