Obituary of Valentina Curran

Valentina “Tina” Curran, a woman devoted to her family and Catholic faith, passed away peacefully on Wednesday morning, November 8, 2017. She was 77 years old. Tina was born in Pinzolo, Italy, a small village in the Dolomite mountains of Northern Italy. Her family immigrated to the United States when she was six years old. They settled in Medford where she grew up with her 5 brothers and sisters, graduated from Medford High School, and spent many memorable hours working in the family business, General Grinding. She married her husband, George, in 1962, and they moved to Burlington in 1968, into a home built by George. She was very proud of her Italian heritage. She was a longtime member of the Trentino Club. She kept many of the Italian traditions and values learned from her parents and shared them with her family. Her home was the gathering place for her immediate and extended family as well as her friends and neighbors. Her kitchen and dining room were the most important rooms in the house. She was an incredible cook and loved to entertain. It wasn’t unusual to have 50 or more guests at family gatherings and holidays. She was a loving and supportive wife to her husband George for 55 years. As a mother, she was always there to support, encourage, and comfort her children. There was always a special place in her heart for her grandchildren and great grandchildren. Tina was happiest holding a baby. Family members would affectionately tease Tina about her unwillingness to give someone else a chance to hold the baby in her arms. Tina had a very strong Catholic faith with a special devotion to the Blessed Mother. George and Tina were married on September 8th, the Feast of the Birthday of the Blessed Mother. Tina believed in the power of prayer, and had a special love for the Rosary. She prayed daily for her family, assigning a day of the week to each of her children and their families. Tina was an active member of St. Malachy’s Church and St. Margaret’s Church where she attended Mass and especially enjoyed being a choir member. She loved bringing music into her home, enjoyed playing the piano, and taught her children and grandchildren to involve music in their lives. Many have fond memories of learning and playing duets on the piano with Tina. The ultimate goal of Tina’s life was to honor God in this life, especially by lovingly serving her family, and expressing kindness to everyone she met. She saw Heaven as her life’s goal, and her family finds great peace in the belief that she is lovingly caring for her family now from Heaven. Valentina was the beloved wife of George E. Curran. She was the loving mother of George Curran & his wife Donna of Manchester, NH, Thomas Curran & his wife Kari of Seattle, WA, Joseph Curran & his wife Tracy of Billerica, Connie Sorenson of Burlington, and Diane Curran of Burlington & her companion Scott Frye. She was the sister of Julia Durso of Billerica, Alice MacNeil of Burlington, Walter Maganzini of Kingston, Benjamin Maganzini of Winchester, and the late Gino Maganzini. Tina was also survived by 19 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren whom she adored. A Vigil and Rosary Service will be held at St. Margaret’s Church, 111 Winn St., Burlington on Friday, November 10 at 7 p.m. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Malachy’s Church, 99 Bedford St., Burlington on Saturday, November 11 at Noon. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited. The burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, memorials in Valentina’s name may be made to the Shriners Hospitals for Children www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org/donate. Arrangements under the Assistance of the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, Burlington. For directions obituary & on line guestbook see www.stmargaretburlington.org , www.saint-malachy.org, or www.sullivanfuneralhome.net