Neil Curran Obituary

Neil Vincent Curran of Naples, FL passed away at his summer home in East Falmouth on September 18 after a lengthy and stoic fight against cancer. He was 75.
Neil was born on September 24, 1948 to the late Leo J. and Dorothy (Harrigan) Curran. A proud son of Worcester, he graduated from St. John's High School in Shrewsbury, MA. Studying engineering at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ, Neil made friends for life as a member of the Chi Psi fraternity: as recently as this summer he continued to enjoy connecting regularly with his brothers via monthly Zoom happy hours. He completed his undergraduate studies at Northeastern University in Boston, MA and earned an MBA from Boston College.
Carrying on a family tradition, Neil built a 30-year career in the phone company, starting at New England Telephone, continuing to AT&T, and later Lucent Technologies. With his extraverted personality, drive to achieve, and decent golf game, he became an award-winning salesman. After taking early retirement in 1998, Neil shared his knowledge of business and economics as a consultant and volunteer with Junior Achievement of Northern New England, commuting from Cape Cod to Boston several days a week to contribute to the organization.
Neil married Barbara Ann Campbell in 1975 and raised a family in Medfield, MA, where he made numerous contributions to the community. Whether he was volunteering as a Boy Scouts troop leader or spearheading construction of a new Wheelock Elementary School playground, he spent much of his non-work hours giving back. In the early 1990s he served as the Commissioner of Medfield Youth Baseball, and little brought him more joy in the past two years than returning to Metacomet Park to watch his grandson take the mound under the very lights he saw installed decades earlier.
Ultimately Neil was happiest to be able to follow his true passion: building. After completing multiple home renovations of his own, he enjoyed helping friends and neighbors fix or build houses on the Cape (and if they weren't friends at the start of the project, they were by the end!). Design, construction, electrical work, tile there was nothing Neil couldn't do, build, or fix. Forever ready with, "let me take a look at it," at the drop of a hat he could change a garbage disposal or your brake pads, set up an elderly neighbor's new printer, or talk you through a dimmer switch installation via FaceTime. In his spare time, he enjoyed watching "This Old House" reruns, making trips to Falmouth Lumber, and flooding the Falmouth Enterprise with letters to the editor.
Neil is predeceased by Barbara, his wife of nearly 38 years. Following Barbara's passing, he shared his time with his partner, Alice Lyons. Neil is survived by his three children: Meaghan Guiney (Medfield, MA), Michael Curran (Park Ridge, NJ), and Caitlin Kennedy (Palatine, IL); their beloved spouses: Brian, Erin, and Patrick; and his seven grandchildren: Fiona, Lilah, Anna, and Enya Curran; Conor and Brendan Guiney; and Molly Barbara Kennedy. For all his accomplishments in the corporate world and all the construction projects he worked on, in his final days Neil made clear that his kids and grandkids were his proudest achievement. He loved nothing more than monitoring progress towards their first steps, lauding their academic attainments, watching them on the field or the stage, and hearing about their travels and adventures. He may not have felt quite like "Pa Neil" when he first heard the name, but in the end, it is how he will be remembered.
Neil and his family will forever be grateful to the doctors, nurses, and countless staff who cared for him in his final months. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Neil's memory to Dana Farber Cancer Institute or to his alma mater, St. John's High School in Shrewsbury, MA.
A wake will be held Monday, September 23, 2024, from 4pm to 7pm at Chapman Funerals and Cremations, 475 Main Street, Falmouth, MA. A Celebration of Life will be held on Tuesday, September 24, 2024 from noon till 4pm at Shipwrecked, 263 Grand Ave, Falmouth.