Funeral services for Corey Kay Curlee Bates, age 37, of Shelbyville, will be held 3 p.m. Tuesday, March 14, 2023, at Fairlane Church of Christ with Jeff Smith officiating. Entombment will follow at Rosebank Cemetery in Flat Creek. Corey passed from this life Friday, March 10, 2023, at her home under the care of her family and Avenna Hospice.
Visitation with the family will be 5-8 p.m. Monday, March 13, 2023, at the church.
Corey was born on April 2, 1985 in Shelbyville, to Larry Curlee and the late Betty G. Potts Curlee.
She was a 2003 graduate of Shelbyville Central High School, where she was a four-year starter on the softball team, having accumulated many individual awards, and would be named “Best All Around” by her high school class; an award that she was very proud of. She attended and played softball at Motlow State Community College before gaining a softball scholarship to the University of West Alabama where she received a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. She was a softball standout in high school and in college during her playing career, her love for the game and teaching would continue. After college she taught elementary school and coached softball for Sumter Academy in Alabama. Upon returning to Bedford County she taught at Southside Elementary and was an assistant coach with Shelbyville Central High School. Later she would stop coaching to raise her daughter but continued teaching until her health prohibited. During her teaching career she was kind and compassionate often going well out of her way to make sure her school children always had the extra time, love and attention that they needed. She was a faithful member of Southside Church of Christ and always loved attending with her family. She also loved to travel to different destinations, especially to Disney World.
Along with her father survivors include: her loving husband of 10 years, Adam Bates; and daughter, Madelyn Grace “Maddie” Bates, all of Shelbyville.
Memorial donations may be made to Southside Church of Christ by mail: 108 Narrows Rd. Shelbyville, TN 37160.
Doak-Howell Funeral Home is serving the family.
www.doakhowellfuneralhome.com
