Joseph Curray: 1927-2025

Joseph Curray, a renowned geologist and professor whose association with Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego spanned more than 40 years, died Sept. 13 at the age of 98.

Curray conducted foundational research in coastal sediments and the evolution of coastal margins. He worked extensively in the marine geology of northeastern India, and had significant contributions on sediment deposition systems in the Bay of Bengal and on Andaman Sea tectonics. He was the founding co-editor of the research journal Marine Geology.

Notably, Curray collaborated with Scripps marine geologist David Moore and the two co-authored more than 30 research papers together. On the 1968 Circe Expedition, Moore and Curray surveyed the Bay of Bengal in the northeastern Indian Ocean. They encountered the world's thickest seafloor sediments, deposited by the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers, forming a deep-sea fan up to 14 miles thick and extending 2,000 miles offshore. The two researchers also served as co-chief scientists on the first seafloor drilling project in the Gulf of California, DSDP Leg 64, in 1978.

On the side, the two worked as part of a small team running the private company Geological Diving Consultants, conducting underwater geological and geophysical surveys off the California coast.

Oceanographer Char-Shine Liu, one of Curray’s former students,  recalled how Curray contributed to the 50th anniversary issue of the journal, publishing an article summarizing the Bengal deposition system. 

“I was really impressed and admired by Joe’s ability to write scientific papers at an age over 85,” Liu said.

“I was really impressed and admired by Joe’s ability to write scientific papers at an age over 85,” said Liu, who received his PhD from Scripps in 1983 with Curray as his advisor.

Liu also noted Curray’s fondness for running as a founding member of the La Jolla Hash House Harriers chapter.

“He established La Jolla Hash House Harriers in 1978, and we went out running and yelling ‘on on’ in various places in La Jolla and San Diego,” Liu said. “One of the memorable events was that Joe once led a geological field trip to Utah and we stayed a couple nights at his condo in Brian Head, Utah. He organized a run at Brian Head in one afternoon, and it was the toughest run I ever experienced, as the path of the run was above 9,700 feet in elevation. At the end of the run, most of us graduate students participating in the run were lying flat on the floor of Joe’s condo, trying to catch our breaths and resting our sore muscles.”

Curray was born Jan. 19, 1927 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He attended the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) as an undergraduate, but his education was interrupted by a stint in the U.S. Navy at the close of World War II. He would resume school and receive his bachelor’s degree in 1949, then a master’s at Penn State University before coming to Scripps as a PhD student.

Scripps Oceanography geophysicist Robert Fisher met Curray in 1943 when both were Caltech students. The two became fast friends though their research interests were different. That carried on to their time at Scripps. “The Curray-Fisher Christmas party was pretty much a standard,” Fisher recalled.

“Joe was a brave scientist about things and he had a good brain on when to go down in flames and when to sidestep problems,” said Fisher. “He was definitely a good Caltech man.” 

Curray is survived by his wife Mary Anne Curray of San Diego; sons Steven of Silverthorne, Colo., and Michael of Honolulu, Hawaii; daughter Donna Kubancik of Boulder, Colo.; four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife Joyann, who died in 2009.

A celebration of life event is planned for Jan. 18, 2026 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Chateau La Jolla.