CURRAN [Attleboro MA Sun Chronicle, Wednesday 22 Feb 2006] Naples, Fla. -- Dr. Francis J. Curran Jr., longtime area physician and beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend, died on Sunday, Feb. 19, 2006 in Naples, Fla. He died from cardiac arrest while being hospitalized for a recent illness. He was 75. Born in Providence, he was the son of Francis J. Curran and Margaret (McCarthy) Curran. He was raised in Providence with three sisters: Collette Gershkoff, Nancy Creamer, and Sheila Cotter, all now of Narragansett, R.I. He graduated from Providence College in 1951, and completed medical school at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia in 1955. Dr. Curran and Mary Louise Tally of Providence married in 1956. Following service in the U.S. Air Force as a medical officer in Germany, and specialized medical training in Providence, they settled in Attleboro in 1961. For the rest of his life, they lived in Attleboro, where he was an active member of the community and helped raise a family of five children: Christopher, now of Key West, Fla., Stephen of Washington, D.C., Maureen Tillett of Wayland, Timothy of Attleboro, and Kathleen of Westboro. He is survived by Mary, his wife of almost 50 years, his three sisters, five children and 13 grandchildren. Dr. Curran was a practicing physician until several years before his death. Following the completion of his medical training, he began his practice in Attleboro as an anesthesiologist working with Sturdy Memorial Hospital. For most of his career, he worked for Lakeville Hospital Rehabilitation Center, where he was the chief of pulmonary medicine. At Lakeville Hospital, he gained international recognition for his work providing respiratory care for people with progressive muscular diseases, especially children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. \"Buddy,\" as he was known throughout his life, was devoted to his family and friends. Like his father, he was a charming storyteller known for his ability to light up a room. He delighted in the company of those he cared for and in sharing his passion for learning and living every moment. An avid gardener, he particularly enjoyed spending time in hisgardens with his children and grandchildren. He also loved to cook for family and friends, woodworking, and reading, especially a good mystery novel. Visitation will be held Friday, Feb. 24 from 5 to 8 p.m. in the Memorial Chapel of the Dyer-Lake Funeral Home, 161 Commonwealth Ave., Village of Attleboro Falls, North Attleboro. Relatives and friends and colleagues are cordially invited to attend funeral services Saturday, Feb. 25 at 11 a.m. in the sanctuary of Murray Unitarian Universalist Church, 505 North Main St., Attleboro, with the Rev. Sandra D. Fitz-Henry, pastor, officiating. Following services, an invitation will be extended to join the family for continued fellowship and refreshment. Private burial will be in North Purchase Cemetery, Attleboro. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Dr. Curran\'s name may be made to the Learning Disabilities Association of America at www.ldaamerica.org. Arrangements are under the direction of the Dyer-Lake Funeral Home, 161 Commonwealth Ave., Village of Attleboro Falls, North Attleboro. blog, MDT, random, video