By Deborah Larsen
John Francis “Jack” Curran
John Francis “Jack” Curran was born in Detroit, Michigan, on June 21, 1925, the son of Roger and Etta Tienken Curran. Jack grew up on the Tienken dairy farm in Avon Township and attended Rochester High School, graduating in the class of 1942. He was also active in scouting and achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in 1942.
In June 1943, Jack enlisted in the U.S. Marines. He served as a radarman aboard USS Vella Gulf, an escort carrier ship that carried a Marine air wing into the Pacific Theater. The Vella Gulf and her air wing participated in the battle of Okinawa and the occupation of Japan.
After the war, Jack graduated from the University of Miami in Florida and began a 25-year career as a Special Agent in the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He was stationed in several states before moving to Vermont in 1958 as Special Agent in Charge of the FBI field office there. He retired from the FBI in 1977 and went on to another career with Howard Bank. In retirement, he enjoyed his home on Lake Champlain.
John Francis Curran died at age 89 on January 1, 2015, and was laid to rest at Vermont Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Orange County, Vermont.