Susan Curren

Susan McGarry Curren, age 57, died July 13, 2011, at her home in Lincoln, MA. She battled cancer for two years with courage and her characteristic humor, alongside her devoted family and many friends. Susan's life was enriched by her passion for beauty, travel, and most importantly her family. She grew up in West Redding, Connecticut, with her parents, Peter and Priscilla McGarry. In 1980, she married her husband Tom. She studied interior design at Mount Ida College, and went on to design many notable homes. Critics praised her for creating welcoming spaces where social interaction could thrive. Her elegant interiors stood alongside Tom's beehives and chicken coops at their own home. She was very happy raising her children there. Susan served on the Harvard AIDS Initiative International Advisory Council for over fifteen years, organizing support from Boston's artistic community for AIDS research in Africa. She was passionate about the Initiative's efforts to prevent HIV positive mothers from transmitting the virus to their children. In 2007, she visited Botswana, where she met new mothers and their infants who benefited immensely from the research. Susan is survived by her husband of thirty-one years, Tom; her children, Michael and Marissa Curren; her father, Peter McGarry; and her sisters, Sharon Sams, Kathleen Barlow, and Mary Anne Claus. She was preceded in death by her mother, Priscilla McGarry, who passed in 2005.

The memorial service will be held at The First Parish Church in Lincoln MA on Tuesday, July 19th.

In lieu of sending flowers, contributions can be made to the Susan M. Curren Fund for Maternal and Child Health in Africa; www.hsph.harvard.edu/give/ .