Therese Curran passed away Jan. 8 unexpectedly from a tragic fall. She was born in Newry, Northern Ireland on July 4, 1966 to Dan and Nuala.
Curran is survived by her beloved wife, Sharon Mylrea, together 14 years and married in 2014; her loving siblings Maeve (Eugene) Gallagher, the late Danny (Barbara) Curran, Michael (Roberta) Curran, Rosemary (Frank) Mooney, John (Rosemary) Curran, Vincent Curran (Breige), Ann (Mark) Poland, Patricia O'Neal and P.J. Curran; her dear father-in-law and mother-in-law Earl and Marian Mylrea; her caring brothers-in-law Steve (Lesley) Mylrea, Dave (Trudy) Mylrea and caring sister-in-law MariLyn (David) Lefeber; her abundance of nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews; and her many, many other family and friends she had all over the world, especially Chicago, Madison and Ireland.
Therese was preceded in death by her mother, father, and brother Danny.
She attended Queen's University Belfast in Northern Ireland, and held a bachelor of arts with honors in geography. She also had a diploma in administrative management from the Institute of Administrative Management in Belfast.
Curran was in the Ulster Youth Theatre in the 1980s, and she acted alongside Susan Lynch, who later won a British Independent Film Award.
Curran came to America on an Irish lottery visa and worked for Naim Audio. From there she worked as an administrator at Loyola University, production coordinator with Conn's and Rita's Catering, and then as corporate purchasing coordinator at Extended Care, LLC.
Curran and Mylrea moved to Madison where Curran joined the University of Wisconsin Department of Medicine as a medical program assistant for the heart failure and transplant department faculty, staff and fellows.
Curran was a burning star that brought love, laughter and light to this world, friends said. To family and friends, Curran was a saint. Curran was the love of Sharon Mylrea's life. Her best friend and wife. Soul mates.
From her obituary on the Cremation Society website:
"We gave Therese many nicknames, often to her chagrin and to spark her intoxicating laughter. We called her 'T.' We called her 'T-Ball' and 'Uncle Therese.' Told her to not 'go Scottish on us.' She was our 'Irish Lass' and we were her 'Muckers.' She was our 'Auntie' and 'Dollie.' In the best of times, we were even 'chancers' willing to get our 'arse' kicked in the Irish art of word fencing. The Mylrea Manx clan 'was good at teasing but not yet ready for my family' T reminded us.
"Therese celebrated life. She didn't wait for birthdays or holidays to have fun. She never complained, was quick to forgive, quicker to smile. T would never want her friends and family to mourn. But we miss that spark in the voice of our Irish lass.
"T's eyes sparkled. Her spirit was jovial and brilliant, serious and empathetic, selfless and kind. Her eyes would connect with you. You would smile when she entered and miss her when she left the room.
"Therese loved family and friends. She made you feel good: laugh, live and love a little more. She was informed by her education at Queens University, Belfast with honors in Geography. Her understanding of people and place made conversations with her fly by as she jumped from history to politics, family to friends, philosophy to religion with ease. She understood all people were equal, no matter what station in life. Hours felt like minutes, days like hours- time seemed to stand still. You never wanted it to end. She had great wisdom and intuition.
"Time with Therese was like one of her paintings, fine details colliding with colorful esoteric patterns - like fall leaves, bright but subtle. Her art captured the nature and the outdoors she cherished. She felt at home in nature. She planted magic potatoes worthy of her Irish roots; wild tubers that spiraled out of the soil and begged to be eaten."
Curran loved making family, friends and the people around her happy. "She was always caring. Always about family, friends and making you feel like that moment...and the time you spent with her was the most important thing on earth as she followed your every word and every movement and responded with quick, thoughtful responses in her lyrical Irish prose that resonated like a beautiful song you wanted to listen to over and over," Mylrea said. "Time with Therese never got old. She was never boring. If you dared to spar or trade jokeslike a real 'chancer' she was well schooled in the art of fencing with words, but did it in a way where you laugh to tears even when she was reminding you that 'You're not as slow as you walk easy.'"
Her obituary also said, that "In the same way that time with time with T flew by, her passing was also too early. To all of us that loved and cherished her every moment, her passing feels unfair, absurd, cruel. In her passing, there feels to be a tremendous void in her silence. But in the same way we cherished her many favors and giving and love, now is the time to celebrate the life of Therese Curran by walking in her shoes, living life, bringing family and friends closer'Bringing on the Craic (fun)' as she always did.
"As we celebrate her life, remember Therese Curran's star is still burning bright. Her song is still singing. Her words are with us. Her smile and eyes are sparkling. You will hear her spirit in the melancholy bagpipes at her upcoming celebration of lifeshe never wanted a funeral. You will hear her laughter the next time you repeat one of her many one-liners.
"Therese would want us to celebrate her life … turn your tears to laughter, fill the void and silence with joy and memories of good times. We can do that by living in her foot steps: give a little more, say a little less, listen a little closer, give to give, love a little more, laugh a little harder, put family and friends before everything. The life that she was and breathed and the joy she made us feel are the memories that will live forever, the star that will burn and we will all leave a better world behind before we join Therese in heaven."
Memorials for a project on Tiny Homes for the Homeless can be made here: AFC, c/o Jackie Thaney, 200 W. Jackson Blvd., Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60606. Checks made out to AFC, with Pride Action Tank Therese Curran Fund in the memo line.
A celebration of life will be scheduled at a future date.
See photos here: photos.app.goo.gl/1G6MVYBPCwYp2fo72 .