Doug Curran obit

Douglas Metcalf Curran

January 14, 1942 - January 12, 2016 

He was not on the list.

Our gentle giant, our dear father, husband, grandfather, great grandfather, brother and friend, Douglas Metcalf Curran passed away at this home unexpectedly on January 12th, 2016, just two days shy of his 74th birthday, at his home in Eagle Mountain, Utah.

Dad’s big life began on January 14th, 1942 in Washington DC, the eldest child of Frances Metcalf and Philip Douglas Curran. As a young boy, he developed a love of singing in the Methodist church choir next to his home in Washington DC. This love would eventually lead him to singing later on in life at BYU, and then with The Letterman, where he met his beloved wife, his “wild Irish yellow rose of Texas” Mary Colleen Fitzsimmons, a singer herself. After a whirlwind six-week courtship, they married in New York City and were later sealed in the Washington DC LDS Temple. His greatest joy in life was his family.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Mary Colleen Fitzsimmons Curran, four sons and four daughters: Quinn (Darlene) Curran, Megan Curran, Shane (Sharon) Curran, Erin (David) Dean, Shannon (Ryan) Hadden, Caitilin (Kurt) Summerhays, Sean (Brianna) Curran, Conn Curran; 12 grandchildren: Kalin, Lexus, Kai, Gavin, Ryan, Owen, Aidan, Liam, Lily, Tara, Kiana, Cora, and Afton. One great-grandchild, Naveah. His brother, Richard B. Curran (Janis), Brother-in-law, Stephen W. Hansen, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and in-laws. He was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Carol Curran Hansen.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 am, Monday, January 18th, 2016 at the Eagle Mountain North Stake Center, 8285 N. Porters Crossing Pkwy, Eagle Mountain, UT. Friends may call at the Wing Mortuary, 118 E. Main St., Lehi, Utah on Sunday from 6-8pm and at the church Monday from 10-10:45 am prior to services. Interment will be held in the Eagle Mountain Cemetery.

For Doug’s bigger-than-life obituary (autobiographical), please visit Wing Mortuary online at www.wingmortuary.com.

Doug’s Obtiuary 5/20/12 (Edit for later facts as needed – I know this is way long but I deserve it, right? No, pay for it out of my death benefit but don’t try to delete anything or I will come back and haunt you – even if you have to publish it in two successive series)

“If you’re reading this, my number must have come up – and I’d really like to know what that number was, by the way. I’m sure there was some media announcement like “The world is taking a day off as one of the great writers…no voices…no big bald guys of all time, has passed. So all flags at half mast please!” Really??? No, not really. But I hope I’m hobnobbing with deceased family and friends on the other side by now, my Irish ancestors and others - and maybe some heroes like Abe Lincoln and C.S. Lewis too. Or maybe I’m doing a little missionary work. Should have brushed up on my Portuguese. And my English. But I hope the Lord will be merciful in His judgment of me. He’s the one I hope to see the most. But that will be my most humbling test.

Right now I’ve got some pneumonia, but I could have died of something else. If it’s cancer, I’m sure I did not succumb after a long and valiant fight. Knowing me, I gave in right away without a struggle, wimp that I am, and told them to just keep me knocked out. Thanks to whoever tried to make me comfortable, if so. My Type 2 Diabetes could have done me in too. Or a clot. But I hope I lost weight so I could fit in the coffin. I actually think it was a stroke. Or maybe my bad skin and one of those “nomas” did me in. Whatever it was, I hope it was quick. I think the Lord gave me plenty of life pains all over to keep me humble, though – and they did, though others might disagree. Or maybe it was cellulites. Trigeminal Neuralgia? No, that’s just one big bad face pain.

“But lets get to the really important stuff - the stats and such. I started out as a child, born January 14, 1942 at Doctor’s Hospital, Washington DC. I was somewhat of an anomaly being 10 lbs, 12 oz, 24” long, from a mother who was 5’5” and a dad 5’10”. Can you say “missing link’? So I made my presence known right away. And now I’m 6’3” with big feet and way too many pounds, unless I’ve shrunk. Marie, sorry, I just couldn’t afford Nutri System. I had a gift of music early on, so my parents would put me in a playpen with a mirror - and I’d sing to myself to keep happy. I did that from time to time later in life too– but I switched the hand mirror for a guitar. I was always a singer and writer - and teacher/philosopher, without a class.

“I lived in San Francisco as a kid for a year or so and Albuquerque NM after that, following my military father around and his secret classified A-bomb test foto jobs. We wound up back in DC, living in Takoma Park MD for a year with Gramma Grace Curran, who helped us in many kind ways. Then we moved to Silver Spring for the duration of my public schooling. It was there that LDS missionaries knocked on our door and brought us the Gospel of Jesus Christ in its fullness, with many good missionaries to follow up and keep us strong. I’ve tried to stay on course ever since through some bumps in the road, but with countless eternal friendships and blessings I will cherish because of that Church in my life. It was the Serge Benson family who made sure we got a good start first and got to our meetings when our cars were out of commission.

“I graduated from Montgomery Blair HS where I played football, was Sports Editor for the school paper and a member of the National Quill & Scroll Honor Society. I also sang in the school choir and was a Maryland All-State Chorus member two years. I was also actively singing on the side with a group of church friends - Buck, Russ, Serge, Danny, Roger, Margie, Don - singing vocal jazz and making heavenly chords ala groups like The Hi-Los, The Four Freshmen and Singers Unlimited. I was blessed with a harmonic ear and a love for modern chords, and could sing any part from high falsetto to low bass. And my bass got lower as my tummy dropped. After a freshman year at BYU, where I also did some jazz quartet singing on campus with the Casuals, I went back to DC where I was a sub mail carrier for nine months to raise money for an LDS mission.

“At 19, I was called to serve in South Brazil, where after ten months of mixed service and illness, and while recuperating in the mission home as mission recorder, President Finn Paulsen asked me to form a missionary quartet to tour our mission and eventually two others. We became the Mormon Melodaires with Elders Jim Smith, Gordon Ridd and Ken Nielson, and performed for eight months as representatives of the LDS Church, building bridges of friendship and opening doors of mutual understanding.

In our own mission, we sang in every city, and did some performances on national radio and tv, recording an album. We traveled and sang in the North Mission and Uruguay too. I loved Brazil and its special people – and the Bossa Nova! Tenho saudades para sempre! What a life-changing experience for me that helped solidify my love of another culture and language, the scriptures, and my testimony of Christ and His Church - forever!

“Upon returning home, I enrolled at BYU again, where I sang in the A cappella Choir, had leads in some great operas, and traveled to Asia and Europe two different summers as a member of the Program Bureau. We entertained troops for the DOD with my great music mentor and friend, Janie Thompson and many other talented performers. I actually got some study in too, and graduated with a BA in English and Portuguese.

“I almost had my MA in English and Philosophy finished, before being asked to audition for Capitol recording artists, The Lettermen in 1969, to replace ailing singer, Jim Pike. I got the part out of 200 who tried out and went right on the road after learning the college show. We finished up an album right away, I Have Dreamed. In between doing shows for colleges and supper clubs, we also managed to do two other albums, Hurt So Bad, the title song of which became a #1 hit in the country - and then recorded Traces/Memories, which garnered some top 40 hits as well. Remember “Shangi-La”?

“It was while we were traveling through Amarillo Texas that I met a gorgeous, long haired folk singer performing at a Holiday Inn, Irish American Colleen Fitzsimmons. After a whirlwind courtship for six weeks, we got married in NYC, where The Lettermen were performing at the Plaza Hotel. The wedding took place…in the office of the Manhattan Ward by LDS bishop Earl Tingey, the only man available at the time. Colleen was a good Christian girl and later converted from Catholicism after three years of much searching, study, prayer, and serious investigation, with me just trying to add on to all the truth and goodness she already had. And I learned so much from her along the way. We were later sealed in the DC Temple in 1974 with our first three children. Quinn, Megan and Shane.

“After my Lettermen gig was up in 1970 and Jim Pike decided to return to singing, Colleen and I stayed in LA for awhile, having that first child We made great friends in the Studio City Ward, the Engemanns, Andelins, Whitleys, and Huntsmans to name a few. Then I got a phone call to go back East to sing with those musical friends I mentioned earlier. So my little family wound up in DC, again from 1970-76, where I also finally finished my MA in English from BYU. Colleen and I also sang in clubs together, with guitar backup I had learned in my mission quartet - and with her mean tambourine, doing folk/soft rock and Brazilian jazz.

We added number four Irish child, Erin, while in the MD/VA area, while also busy singing and doing dinner theatre productions like “Man of La Mancha”. I was also writing and producing radio and tv psa spots and jingles for a local production house, both of us singing a lot of the recorded music. I finished my MA at the same time as mentioned, writing my master’s thesis by correspondence from VA in 1975 on Irish poet James Stephens, a study of his imaginative writing on three levels..

“Then in 1976, the call came for us to try something completely different. A good friend in Hawaii wanted to know if I’d interview for a job at BYU-Hawaii, producing a traveling student show and coordinating student activities and lyceum scheduling. Got the job somehow after an interview in SLC, so we took our little Curran Clan and flew to the far island side of the USA on Oahu, HI, , working there for 10 years.

During that wonderful and challenging time, I was Coordinator of Student Activities, taught Freshman English, Speech and Religion, and was Director of University Relations, managing campus hosting, publications and sports information, while I wrote news articles about the campus and its teachers. Things changed and they needed someone in recruiting as an admission’s advisor, so I did that for a year, bringing some great students to campus.

We had four more kids there, born in tiny Kahuku Hospital on Oahu’s North Shore – Shannon, Caitilin, Sean and Conn. I also served in the Laie Stake as a bishop of the Laie 5th ward and later on the stake high council, great and profound experiences in my life. l loved the unforgettable cultures and people gathered in the Aloha state and left with many tears from a job elimination by a new administration after ten years there. I guess I had recruited enough kids for BYUH. I did get another MA, trying for a PhD in American Studies at UH/Manoa. But left short four classes and a dissertation.

But my greatest boon was having a big family with Colleen, eight amazing singing, dancing, artistically creative kids in thirteen years. So BYUH gave us a free move to Utah, with no job however, and the hardships ensued that took a financial toll for many years. With no success at finding teaching or administrative jobs at BYU or elsewhere, I tried sales jobs for several years - encyclopedia, karoke, telemarketing business and real estate consulting - and found out I wasn’t very good at it. It was that “closing” thing.

“In the meantime, Colleen took up the slack, got her Utah teaching certificate, and was able to hold us together, teaching choral music and Special Ed, and voice lessons at home, something not planned for but done by her in a true spirit of maternal sacrifice. She got her masters degree at USU too and took all kinds of extra classes to make every extra penny she could for us, truly a giant among women and an outstanding teacher as well. Her “special” kids were lucky to have her. Our family too – to the max!

I managed to teach some ESL English at a local language school – and was a phone book editor for a local directory till it downsized. Even did care giving for some elderly Marriott friends. But I never had a career in Utah, though I thought I would have been an asset to a lot of companies and schools here. I was a pretty good speller too. Just had to compete with too many computer whizzes in a younger market heavily shaped toward those skills I hadn’t learned yet – or ever. I was already too old at 44 when we moved here with a lot of younger, brighter competition. Maybe it was the beard.

“So after my last layoff, I “retired” my 68-year old self and tried to finish my life writing, working on religious book ideas, children’s book ideas, humorous bio ideas – and song writing in Christmas and other styles. I was always enchanted by Christmas at home with the kids, its fun, beauty and sacred music most of all, sung by my kids and favorite jazz vocal groups and their ‘celestial’ chords. Maybe I will have gotten some publishing done by the time you read this. Or maybe I went back to work trying something else. Can you say “Walmart Greeter”?

No, it might have been more ESL teaching. I loved teaching foreign students. I think I had an “Everyman” inside me, because when I was with Brazilians, I wanted to be Brazilian – or with Polynesians, the same. Or with any other culture for any time, the same. But my passion was writing, singing, creating music, studying the great ideas, cultural literacy, world literature, myth, cultures and intellectual histories of man - and God’s revelations to His prophets – AND being with my family most of all.

I hope I’m worthy to be with them forever, but I don’t know if I can ever measure up. It would be my greatest loss. I’ve been blessed in spite of myself though and thank God for all His countless tender mercies, very undeserved. I should have done better for my family and my fellow man, my greatest regrets. Time seemed never well used though – it was that ADD thing with too much day dreaming. Too many ideas assaulted my brain and left me trying to chase them all down and do something with them.

“So at this writing, which date changes as I edit and re-edit, I’m still survived by all my terrific family - Colleen; Quinn and Darlene (Hawea); Megan, Kai, Kiana -and Kalin and Danzi (Stewart) and Naveah; Shane and Sharon (Yates), Owen, Aidan, Elizabeth; Erin and Dave (Dean), Tara and Cora; Shannon and Ryan (Hadden); Caitilin and Kurt (Summerhays), Gavin, Ryan, Liam and Afton; Sean and Brianna (Wyckoff); and Conn. You can see there’s a lot of room for more grandkids I maybe never met.

I also leave a brother Richard (Janis), a sister Carol Hansen, deceased, (Steve) and their respective loving families and Colleen’s great siblings, Jack,Tom,Kathleen and Eileen and in-laws too. My wife and kids are so tech smart and musically and artistically talented, high on social intelligence and compassion, and make good things happen in this world, even on YouTube, iTunes and Facebook too. I was always in awe. Me, I think I’m like the guy who slipped into the airplane after it crashed and when they found him sitting in a seat, said, ‘Wow, what was that?'

“I have loved Utah, its incredible beauty, its good people, and our Orem 1st ward family for whom I have had the greatest love and respect over 28 years. They have been saintly and generous to us and instrumental in keeping us alive in our early jobless struggling years here till we got on our own. I was able to serve there as a ward choir member, ward membership clerk, SS teacher, HP Group Assistant, and Ward and Stake Music Chairs. Thanks to the Orem Stake for the privilege to serve in music, with backup help from Arden Hopkin and Ian Wilson. I think we were able to present some good Orem Stake music programs.

And thanks to deceased Grampa Fitz, Colleen’s great dad, who helped us get into our house, and for Harvey Black and Ivan Keller for making special accommodations so we could keep the Orem house and raise our family in it. We downsized later and moved to The Ranches in Eagle Mountain and enjoyed the change of scenery, equally beautiful, and in a nice condo with Colleen. We enjoyed another good ward there, Rock Creek and its friendly much younger folk. Thanks to Alpine Credit Union for helpful loan services and to all my medical personnel over the years in the IHC system, and the good folks at Smith’s Pharmacy, Postmart, Tunex. and others for their kindness.

I’m also grateful to family benefactors Steve and Carol Hansen, Dick and Janis Curran, Tom and Catherine Fitzsimmons and the rest of my wife’s family, friends Taylor and Kathy Macdonald, Chris and Gail Poulos, Bob and Char Johnson, Ivan and Judy Keller, Rick and Linda Eyre, Dan and Bonnie Whitley and others for some timely interventions when we came to the mainland for family vacations or when we moved here and were really having a hard time finding work and getting our big family settled. You really shared our burdens in a true spirit of Christian compassion and generosity, as did our ward.

“But I guess it’s time for me to move on. I’ve talked way too long, eh? But I’m Irish. To any and all whom I may have offended, especially in any jobs or church callings or other situations, please forgive me. I am truly, truly, really truly really, really sorry. I know I messed up at times. If I did, it was from ignorance and naivete and blindness and ‘stupid’ of thought, but never intentional. I was born with a furrowed brow and now a scary older bearded flawed face and bald head, so it was easy for some of you to be put off by my looks, if you didn’t know my tender heart and benign intentions. I’ve never had hate in my heart for anyone – except for the devil and his work.

So if I don’t see you in the future, I’ll see you in the pasture, as they say. And If you want to know more about the way I really saw life, get my ‘memoir’, It Is What It Was - The Laugh And Times of a Serial Dufus - or some such title - in your favorite bookstore or on Amazon.com or at my blog,

thecurrancosmos.blogspot.com - maybe. That might help pay for my XXXXXL pine box – and this prolonged obituary. Infamous in life, famous in death? I don’t think so! Ate’ quando entao e sejam bonzinhos. Minha esposa mereceu muito melhor, mas ainda espero que estejamos juntos no otro lado. Adeus. minha querida tao boa e leal.