It's been 3 years now.  I still can't believe you are gone.  I miss you so much!!  -M

J - You left us one year ago today.  I miss you so much.  RADAR LOVE always and forever...  M

John was childhood and lifelong friends with my dad, Robert Lederhos.  To me, John was larger than life.  Such a pleasant and humorous, positive spirit.  I have many fond memories tagging along with those two - and others - hunting, fishing, exploring in the mountains...and one time they even took us golfing.  I caddied for my dad and my friend caddied for John.  So many childhood memories - sad he's no longer with us, but he won't be forgotten.   

One of John's favorite birds. Hearing it's song in the field and on the plains meant spring had arrived!

When my sister Mary met John; I knew he was the one for her.    I loved him and  I can't believe he is gone.  I am so grateful that they had as many years together as they did, although I wish we all had more time with him.  He was so kind and gracious with me.  He was a grand gentleman and a true follower of Christ.  John will be missed, more than people will ever know,   especially by me.  I LOVE  YOU 
BROTHER  and I WILL SEE YOU AGAIN.  
 Love, 
Barbara

I met John in the late 80’s when my best friend, Karen Thoreson was renting a room to him and he had just built a deck for her.  So 
  we hired John to build a deck for us.  We loved our deck that John built for us.  Karen and I decided that we needed to introduce my good friend, Mary French to John.  We planned a card game for Karen and Augy, Carlos and I, and Mary and John at our house.  Success!  They hit it off!  I was so sorry to hear of John’s  passing a few weeks ago.  My heart goes out to Mary and her family.  So sorry!



John was a good friend and an excellent carpenter. He built my deck in Longmont where we spent many a lovely evening during the summers in the 1980s. And he built a deck for my friends Loretta and Carlos. My friend Loretta and I got to introduce John to the love of his life, Mary French, at a BBQ celebrating their new deck. John and Mary were rarely apart after the first night they met. Love at first sight!

My condolences to Mary and the family. He was a sweet, wonderful man.

I have o ly met John a few times, but he was always so gentle and had a very friendly smile. The last time Doug and I saw him was at our wedding, days before his stroke took place. We are happy that our last memory with him was when he was standing tall as ever, laughing, dressed up for our wedding and he looked so happy. 

Unless the Lord builds the house
        (alongside the carpenter),
they labor in vain who build it 
        (without His guidance); 
unless the Lord guards the city 
        (along with the appointed guards), 
the watchman keeps awake in vain.
                                                               Psalm 127:1 [Exposition added.]

        God loves carpenters!  There is a special place in His heart for those who work in wood, who bring life to the grain and beauty hidden within.  When a carpenter lays out the plans for a house, their measurements are painstakingly exact and their attention to detail is absolutely demanding.  A fraction of an inch in compromise at the beginning will lead to disaster on the far side of the project.  A job done well is a job done right!
        The Lord, a carpenter by trade, had found John when he was still rough cut, lovingly finding the beauty hidden within, and began the process of shaping and polishing.  It was a lesson John always remembered.  You have only to examine any of his furniture pieces and building achievements to see the exactitude and attention to detail.  John would lovingly run his hands along the rough cuts, seeking out the grain and the beauty hidden within.  He was that kind of guy.  Gentle and patient, he addressed other people this same way.  The focus, the smile, the sincere attention, the friendly commiseration, the easy laugh.  He cared about people and worked at finding the beauty hidden within each one.  
        John was a carpenter!           


Seasons Greetings photo of John and Mary, posted at request of John's beloved wife Mary. God Bless You We Love You!

I knew John from my work, he would come in and order a breakfast burrito, no cheese only smothered 1/2 and he would get water, no ice. I will always remember his order and sad to know that he will not be coming in anymore. John was always so kind and patient, he was one of our favorite regulars. He has even brought his wife and a sister or two to eat there as well.  John was an awesome person and he will be missed dearly. 
My condolences to the family and his wife Mary ❤

My Aunt Mary and Uncle John and my brother Doug's wedding last August, along with the rest of the family!!!

John always told me that I "was living the Dream".  And he meant it...with every ounce of his love he meant it.

I will never forget his warm smile, his total love for me and my family, and his sincere desire to build...in lives, in love, or in his home.  Every time I saw him he was so caring and compassionate...he would always ask with his deep warm voice about my family, our lives and would always end with how we were living the dream life.  And he always wanted us to know that he loved us and that God loved us.

He was such a devoted husband, cat lover and God follower.  I pray that my life can become the simplicity that he embodied with every breath every day.  Live well, love always and see the good in everything around you.  Rest in peace Uncle John.  I will always love and miss you.  Hope you enjoy working with the greatest carpenter who ever lived (Jesus)!!!

My big brother John (I was two years younger) had it made as the only boy of five siblings – his own room, his own toys, his own everything!  But caught in the middle (two older and two younger sisters), I came to understand he had some unique challenges!   John and I were close enough in age for me to be a “contender” when we played any kind of sport together.  We showed each other no mercy when it came to full contact football on a very hard lawn (mostly dirt!), or playing “burn-out” in baseball (never did bother with a ‘soft’ ball!)  I was always so grateful to have had a brother who taught me to play sports.  I never did “throw like a girl”!    John was always the first one to call and sing on my birthday – waking me up made it even better!  When he was struggling in his early 30’s, John asked me what he should do. I introduced him to Jesus Christ.  My brother went from a dark and hopeless man to a radiant hopeful disciple of Christ who never looked back!  I will never forget that day!  Even with the stroke, John never lost sight of Who was with him, of the love God had for him, no matter what.  His kindness, thankfulness and sense of humor was heightened!  What a testimony he was to everyone around him!  I’m grateful God gave him the choice to come back for a time after the stroke so we could all spend more time with this unique, amazing man, who was being transformed yet again by the love of God.  But how grateful I am that the Lord called him Home – fully healed, strong and vibrant like the brother we knew most of our lives.  See you soon, big brother!  Your loving sister, Mary

Uncle John’s smile was wonderful and I enjoyed all of the times I got to spend with him. He was wonderful to talk with at family get togethers and I always looked forward to it. He seemed so much to quietly care about and watch the world in his own way. You could tell in the way he spoke about his cats. He saw them and thought about the little things they did in such an observant and thoughtful way that I can only imagine this outlook stretched into the rest of his life, as well. All my love to Mary. We love you and  thinking about you and sending love. 

My uncle John was - as has been repeated here by all - deeply kind, funny, and all about those animals. We golfed, foot-raced, and played basketball and football, but it was always about being outside and laughing, never really about any sort of competition. I love how much he couldn't stand the Patriots.  I will miss him calling every year to quickly and gently sing a little rendition of Happy Birthday, and will equally miss the assurance that on Thanksgiving you can eat, take a walk, watch some football, come back to the table, and Uncle John will still be there, eating dinner. GBYILY

I was a CNA at the rehab facility he was staying in. John was so kind, considerate, and patient. My favorite thing about him was he always greeted me with a warm smile and he always said my name. It's the little things that make someone's day and he made mine everytime I saw him. I pass on my condolences. John was very loved. God bless 
Love,
Brianna

1975 Puerto Rico adventure among the banana trees - such fun and love we shared!

John,

Heaven just got another angel.

You were a kind and gentle soul. It was always a pleasure to see you and Mary.

God Bless you Mary and all John's family in this time of your grief.



The "alpha cat" on a walkabout with his girls.

John was such a kind and wise man. At our family christmases he was always such a great spirit to be in the presence of. John and I always had great conversations and he would invest in the wellness of my life and all the lives around him. His smile and kindness were touching and I know he is welcomed in celebration to heaven. My condolences and love to all his loved ones and may your great memories of him bring comfort. 

MY GENTLE JOHN . . . .  Thank you for being my husband.  I love you now and forever.  -M

It was with great  happiness that we welcomed John & Mary Curran to our Ludington neighborhood.  It is with great sadness that we learned of John’s September incident and April passing.  We grew to appreciate the quiet kindness, integrity, thoughtfulness, humor, and willingness to help others, also demonstrated in his “Labor of Love” remodeling the neglected house for his beloved Mary.  He was always ready with a friendly greeting for everyone.  It was somehow comforting to hear the sounds of demolition & construction next door.  It was our special privilege to share his time and conversation during meals and visits.  He made our neighborhood a better place.  His struggles are over. He is loved and missed. 
Mary we share your profound grief. We welcome you back. We are here for you with love and  whatever you need.
Maribeth & Robert Nettleman & Family

Curran family, I’m terribly sorry for your loss. John was one of the sweetest and kindest souls I’ve ever met. He would smile and say hi to every person who passed him in the halls at our rehab facility... I looked forward to seeing his smiling face every day. I feel blessed to have been able to meet him and work with him.  John will forever hold a special place in my heart. 

John was john met him at home depot i was working in the hardware dept & being like john we hit it off & chatted for some time realizing that we lived across the street from each other anytime my wife susie or i needed anything & saw john outside the house he would come over & help r cat went to no one when people came over but would always go up & snuggle with john kind of eerie but nice john & mary were a big hit in the neighborhood susie & i have since moved back to r hometown clearfield pa. & john was one person that was sad to c us leave. He will b missed all take care in this horrible time john was a wonderful story in himself he was my friend bill & susie mcnamee

From the collected writings of his loving sister, Paula:
                     
                    MY BROTHER
   
He’s the only boy in a family of five;
     He has to put up with a lot.

I love him.  But how do you say it,
     Without sounding silly?

When he went away to college, I thought
     I’d be glad to be rid of him.
But I miss him.   I even miss the dutch-
     rubs he’d give me. 
You can’t imagine how much I look fore-
     ward to him coming home.

I want so bad to have something worth-
     while to tell him.  I love to make him
     laugh- then I feel close to him.
It’s good to see his face across from
     me at the table.  I’ll catch his eye
     and grin;
He’ll look at me like I’m crazy and then
     grin back….

Then I feel like maybe he’s not sorry 
     he got stuck with me for a little 
     sister.
I’m glad I got him for a big brother.

                          Paula R. Curran, age 13
                          Fall, 1972 


John was my little brother. When he was born almost 67 years ago and christened John Patrick Curran III, there was such joy in the family and neighborhood. My memories are enormous and include running and jumping with sister Susan, playing football with sister Mary, retrieving sister Paula from her Kansas adventure and then enjoying many sojourns with her; his many stereo components and enormous speakers; playing golf with dad Jack, mom Betty, sister Susan and brother-in-law Kevin, sister Stephanie, and the Newton tribe; visiting sister Stephanie in Puerto Rico, playing golf among the lizards, chipping onto the green for his second shot, wondering where his ball went, and the delight when he realized it was in the cup; his joy when he was finally at home on his acreage with wife Mary, his kitty babies, his sisters called, everything mowed and trimmed, watching sports, and enjoying a special meal; his delight in telling people that, in addition to his wonderful wife, he was in the middle of four sisters, and had a large extended family; his enjoyment of family gatherings and laughing so hard after stories shared; his master-skill carpentry; his enjoyment of other family pets; his unwavering faith; and his strength dealing with enormous recent adversity. Oh how he was loved and will be missed. God Bless You I Love You forever.

I’ve knownJohn since we were little boys fascinated with all the things little boys are thrilled about-hunting, fishing, mischievousness, etc. We experienced different phases of life from childhood thru adulthood. He had no brothers so he was a perfect fit in our family of six boys and four girls.(No offense intended, sisters  tee hee) I cannot here relate all these things but they were many and such a big part of our lives as you all know. Our friendship was cemented in the foundation of the friendship our parents had with each other. We were SO blessed to have been part of such a time as that was! Gods’ plan for us was great and I hope we can all take great joy and comfort in that. I offer my sincere condolences to all who knew John (and Paula). May they rest in the Peace of Christ.                                          Robert Lederhos

I met my Uncle John as a little kid, since my mom and dad would take us to visit my mom's sister Mary and her wonderful husband. I always remember him being sweet, kind and always took an interest in me and my little brother Doug. He was always smiling and would definitely make us laugh.  My Uncle John would always ask how my kitty Sakura was doing whenever I would see him.  John was the best Uncle you could ask for.  I will miss him dearly and will always love him!  

Among many other things, John was a carpenter and a golfer.  I have memories of him doing both.  He was generous enough to help us design and build a rather large deck on our family's lake house at the  Lake of the Ozarks.  He looked at the house, the existing deck, the land, the trees and the lake for what seemed like an interminable amount of time.  We had only a week to build, so I wondered what the deal was.  Of course, we had no plans, but John had them all in his head. It all came together beautifully, over-engineered as was his style, larger than planned and crafted around a large oak in which the kids could climb and play. He was a pro, even working with rookies.

The golf.  John had that Arnold Palmer-type swing.  Not all Hogan-esque style, but very strong.  If he had a 100 yard shot, he hit his nine iron.  If he had a 200 yard shot, he hit his nine iron.  I've never seen a longer nine iron shot.  He thoroughly enjoyed it, like his father,  and if you were partnered with him, it was always a mellow, stress-free round, even if the golf was bad.

I'd be remiss not to mention his eating.  Slowest eater on the planet.    At family dinners, everyone would be finished after 10-15 minutes.  Not John.  Count on another 15 minutes.  And then there were seconds, almost always.  He was pretty svelte for the volume of food he consumed.

He didn't like be confined, indoors and unable to do everything for himself.  Nonetheless, he was probably one of the best patients ever known.  Kind, grateful and never complained.  I'm glad he's out of his chair now and doing whatever he wants.  Are there cats in heaven?

I first met John many years ago when he married my sister Mary.  I immediately liked him, and was so happy to have him in our family.  We became very close after I moved to Colorado twenty  some years ago.  John and I "bonded" over many laughs and perhaps more importantly, many serious health/medical scares in the family.
My favorite memories are of all the times Mary, Dan, John and I would laugh so hard we couldn't even talk.  I remember how John got mad (not really) at Dan for removing all of the chocolate ice cream from a carton of Neopolitan "with surgical precision"!  I loved staying up late to watch Jeremiah Johnson with him, and eating beef jerkey in honor of the movie.  
I loved John as my brother, he was always there for me and Dan, and I will miss him more than I can say.  As sad as I feel now, I am happy that he is truly home now and has no more pain in his life.

It's been so hard for all of us to loose our family, friends and loved ones. The last thing Cousin Paula suggested was "if things didn't
work out (here on earth) oh well, we would just have another one
of our great reunions in heaven". SO TRUE Paula. That's what I 
remember most about  our great family  was seeing  Uncle Jack,
Aunt Betty show up with family in tow (that cool car with the
angled rear window ?) Paula and John would usually join us at
the backyard picnic table at 619. With smiles and easy going
up-beat attitudes while Cousin David and I talked smack about 
the grown-ups :)  One summer my Dad was thankful that Johnny
was kind enough to employ me as we stuck billboards in the ground.  At 17 I hadn't quite developed the work ambition John
had but he  was  respectful and patient with me that summer.
About 5 years ago (my brothers) Patrick, Jack and I were  at
Santiagos in Johnstown having lunch when in walked Johnny.
Small world and great timing.  Here's to big families and HUGE
glorious reunions in heaven. Love you all ! :)

I have had a lifetime of memories with John. I knew him for 56 years. We took our first road trip to California when we were 16. We traveled most of the United States together while we were still kids. We went to Mardi Gras a couple of times. I could write a book about just those 2 trips alone. John was a great incredible man! He was strong, brave, honest, smart, tough, loyal, and he had a softer side too. He was kind, caring, sensitive, loving, giving and always there to lend a helping hand. He was a real man. The world was better place while John was here. GOD brought home to heaven at this time. Only GOD knows why. I will miss him so much. Luckily I was able to thank John a couple of weeks ago for being such a life long friend. Rest in peace my good friend.















John came into our lives when he met Cathy’s sister, Mary so we go back a long time. John was instantly likable and we became fast friends. Our kids were very young and John took interest in them immediately. They would follow him around and hang and climb all over him. He would always entertain them during our visits. John was very generous and would stop whatever he was doing to help us out no matter what. We both will miss him very much.

This is such a good photo of John. I miss him so much already. Everyday while I am working on projects around the house I think to myself "what would John do" His love for animals stems from his love for life, all life big and small. He called me his brother and he was a roll model. I know John would not want us to be sad right now but I can't be any other way. I'll miss you John but I know that in another place, somewhere in the sky, there is an animal in need of help and your there to provide it. I'll miss you every day.


John is my little brother  I remember knocking on the doors of our neighbors announcing his arrival…Its a Boy!   I also remember many frantic searches for a 3 yr. old who had a bad habit of going for unsupervised walk-abouts in the hood.  We became great playmate climbing trees; building tree houses, making kites, or jumping off the roof of our home.  Uncle Frosty showed us how:-)  In jr. high I remember watching him hit winning homeruns and going trout fishing with Dad.   As young adults he & I played golf.  John was good.  I never hoped to beat him but I admit I did enjoy, at times, watching his ripping hard swings result in even harder hooks.  
Once John found his religious footing and Mary became his wonderful wife, his life took direction.  He became an excellent carpenter.  His attention to detail and doing a project “right” was his great strength.  If we thought 9 screws was enough John used 16.  He measured 4 times, not twice.  As a result he became a trusted lead finish carpenter.  Even after his stroke he had the ability to ask the right questions or give suggestions to help work through some conundrum part of a home project.
  
John loved his cats and the animals on his land.  His kitties and he roamed together many mornings.  Many bunnies & birds owe John their lives as he gently removed them from the mouths of those hunting kitties. 

A severe stroke last September changed his life abruptly.  To say it was difficult is an understatement.  I can’t and won’t dwell on that time but will speak to the wonderful strength of character it highlighted.  John became kinder, more caring and thoughtful.   His vocabulary increased!  His sense of humor was wonderful.  He worked hard at recovery.  Many of the nurses, CNA’s, physical therapists and caretakers with whom he worked became his friends.  Simply, in a very difficult situation, he was a good man, a good husband, a good brother and he did well. Susan

We were thankful to have met John when he bought a house just 2 doors down and became our  neighbor.  Jack enjoyed getting to know him as he cut his grass and talked to him.  John was very friendly and always had such a positive attitude.  We will miss his smile and hellos and neighborly chats. Please know we would be grateful to help in anyway we can here in Ludington. Until we see you Mary, we will be praying comfort for your grieving heart. Our hearts are sad with you but we are thankful to have assurance that John is with our Lord. 

With love and sympathy~ The Stidham Family 
Steve, Deni, Steven, Jack, Kyle and Payton 

My condolences to the Curran family. I enjoyed every day of taking care of John. He was always so kind and greatful.  Mary my thoughts are with you. I always enjoyed our conversations. John will be missed by all of us who took care of him.

I am a nurse and spent time with John at the rehab center in Fort Collins. I will always remember him as a strong kind gentle man.  He always said thank you and really was kind in consistently showing appreciation for any care or kind word received . I will miss you John and your smile will always be in my heart.

OBITUARY

John Patrick Curran III

May 15, 1953 – April 22, 2020

Allnutt Funeral Service – Hunter Chapel

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