Dianne Curry Boulware

Dianne Curry Boulware, 82, of Spartanburg, SC, passed away peacefully March 22, 2025, at home.

Born in Gadsden, Alabama, she was the eldest daughter of the late Robert Lafayette Curry and the late Ruth Curry Buddin. Her family moved to South Carolina when she was a young girl, first to Columbia and then to Mullins, and ultimately to Sumter. Dianne was co-valedictorian of her senior class at Edmunds High School and went on to earn a B.S. in Chemistry from Winthrop College and a master’s degree in teaching from the University of South Carolina.

Dianne married Charles H. “Charley” Boulware, Jr. in 1976, and they had two children: Charles H. “Chase” Boulware, III (Sarynna) and Suzanne “Suzy” Cole (Derham). She was also the proud grandmother of Kilian Boulware-Lopez, Derham Cole, III, and Susannah Cole.

Dianne began her teaching career at Airport High School in West Columbia and later spent twenty years teaching Chemistry and A.P. Chemistry at Sumter High School. She especially loved conducting brilliant experiments in her chemistry lab! Prior to her retirement, Dianne started Sumter High’s International Baccalaureate program, which brought her great satisfaction.

She relished her roles as daughter, mother, grandmother and wife, always looking for ways to serve and care for her family. She loved nothing more than cheering on her children and grandchildren in their school, church and athletic programs. Dianne also enjoyed attending Carolina and Wofford basketball and football games with Charley, particularly her time tailgating with “the Wofford crew.”

After having been lifelong Methodists, she and Charley joined First Presbyterian Church when they moved to Spartanburg in 2018. The Boulwares rarely missed a Sunday service and never missed a Wednesday night dinner and Dianne’s weekly serving of pound cake.

Dianne was preceded in death by her parents and elder brother, Billy R. Curry. In addition to her husband, children, and grandchildren, she is survived by two sisters, Lynne C. Richardson (Bob) and Etna C. Griffin (Hap), of Sumter, and a brother, Robert L. Curry, of Charlotte, NC.

A Service of Witness to the Resurrection will be held on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 393 E. Main Street, Spartanburg, SC 29302. A visitation will be held prior to the service at noon at the church.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to First Presbyterian Church or Children’s Advocacy Center of Spartanburg, Cherokee and Union Counties, Inc. https://www.cacsp.org

J.M. Dunbar Funeral Home is handling arrangements.