Reading this makes me want to think of a different question along the same lines. We know how Curly was: he pissed his money away as soon as it was in his hands (despite Moe's warnings) and he was a sucker for a lady, being ready for marriage after the first date.
Suppose Jerry had taken Moe's warnings and calmed down his personal life (pick a year... say 1940!). He takes it easier with the ladies and stops being so wild. Yeah, he still loves his dogs, but as long they don't eat up the money they're OK. He takes better care of himself overall, even if he's basically average for the day. Jerry Howard gets his life back to normal.
Now, given the character Curly is in the shorts, how long does a more-controlled Curly last? Remember that Curly was already in his forties when he had all the strokes that eventually claimed his life. The role requires a spastic manchild, and I can't see that lasting him beyond say 1952 just because of age. What do you all think?