Carolyn Curry has been happily married for 45 years, but spends the bulk of her time helping women going through divorce or death of a spouse.

The Buckhead resident's lifelong research, study and work on the subject have helped prepare her to launch a support foundation.

The need for such a group came to Curry's attention years ago when she was teaching at the University of Kentucky.

"My great passion has always been women's history —- how they cope, how they survive," said Curry, an Agnes Scott College alumna who also holds a doctorate in history from Georgia State University.

"My class on women in contemporary society talked about what women were facing in the present. I soon noticed that a lot of women —- widows, divorced, women who were reinventing their lives —- started auditing my course. I started talking to them and meeting outside of class and had this idea of doing something."

It wasn't until 2002 that Curry launched Women Alone Together, a non-profit that offers seminars, book groups, travel opportunities and fellowship to older, single women. The catalyst was the sudden death of a good friend's husband.

"I realized that women going through this need legal and financial help as well as emotional encouragement," said Curry, 65. "So I went to Agnes Scott and talked to the president about hosting seminars. They jumped on board, and we've been doing them now for about six years."

More than 650 women, from their late 40s into their 90s, are on the non-profit's mailing list. Many come from out of state to attend sessions.

"A big part of our story is women telling their stories," said Curry. "When they hear another woman talk about what she's gone through and how she coped, others are encouraged. It's women helping women, which has always been true through history."

Curry has recently been inviting women who are alone through illnesses such as dementia. She's organized a seminar around that topic at Agnes Scott on March 29.

"Women taking care of the men are really alone," she said. "And that's in addition to the 41 percent of women in the U.S. who live outside of marriage, so there are many women coping on their own in later years."

Having a group such as Women Alone Together is the culmination of years of work. "I've taught, done research, talked to women who tell me their story," said Curry. "I've spoken on women's history and the difficulties women are facing since the '70s, when it was new. Now, I want to do something meaningful and substantive. I want women to hear good speakers who are sincere about the difficulties they're facing and who have good information to share. That way, women can build a community of friends as well."

The Women Alone sessions have become so popular that even her married friends are now asking if they can attend, said Curry.

"We target women who are alone but all interested women are invited," she said. "The married ones may be in the minority, but they know I'm married, too. The key thing is that so many women are alone in some sense. But older women are fascinating, with so much to give and so much wisdom —- it needs to be shared."

IF YOU GO

Women Alone Together will host a seminar, Wives of Men with Dementia: Finding Their Voices, on March 29 from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Agnes Scott College. Registration is $30; www.womenalonetogether.org ; 404-769-3228.

4 things you didn't know ... about Carolyn Curry

1. She has four grandchildren.

2. Her favorite escape is to a cabin in the mountains.

3. She met her husband, Bill Curry, in the fourth grade. He is the former head football coach for Georgia Tech, the University of Alabama and the University of Kentucky and is now an ESPN football analyst.

4. She had a knee replaced last year.