Susan M. Curren

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Susan McGarry Curren, age 58, died July 13, 2011, at her home in Lincoln. She battled cancer for two years with courage and her characteristic humor, alongside her devoted family and many friends.

A seasonal resident of Chilmark, Susan and her family have enjoyed summers on Martha’s Vineyard for many many years.

Susan’s life was enriched by her passion for beauty, travel, and, most importantly, her family. She grew up in West Redding, Conn., 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 more than 15 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 benefitted immensely from the research.

Susan is survived by her husband of 31 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 died in 2005.

A memorial service was held at The First Parish Church in Lincoln on July 19 at 10 am with a reception to follow at The Pierce House, Lincoln. 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/.