Tributes To Jan Curran Around The Blogosphere

The picture above was taken at my parent's wedding in 1956. Jan Barer, my cousin, is second from left, a bridesmaid. This was posted on facebook by my brother, Steve in honor of Jan, who passed away a week ago yesterday. Jan, a journalist by trade, made her long struggle with cancer public by her blog Jan Curran Events. With her style and positive sense of humor, she made life better for both for cancer patients and their loved ones, many whom she never met or may not even have been aware of. Anne Erdman, the Public Information Director for Pasadena, CA, was a longtime friend, she writes this about Jan.
My dad, Jan's first cousin, knew her since her birth he has some funny stories from growing up together in Walla Walla. Jan's brother, Burl, included the write up in the Palm Springs Desert Sun in his story, Jan's cousin on her Mom's side, David Zarkin, also has some childhood recollections. My brother Danny weighed in also.
Finally, Jan's son, Lee ties it all together in this lovely piece.

Farewell To My Beloved Cousin

Jan Curran has passed away at 73. Jan was my second cousin, my father's first. Her blog, Jan Curran Events, inspired me to begin a blog of my own.

Jan was born in Walla Walla and graduated from Walla Walla High School, she went to the University Of Washington and met and married Alan Goldberg. Together they had 4 children. Jan and Alan divorced in the early 70s. She was briefly married to Donald Curran. Although she lived in California for almost all of her adult life, she would bring her children to Walla Walla every summer to visit the Grandparents, which is how I would meet Lee and Karen and later, Linda and Tod. Just about a year ago, she completed the book "Active Senior Living" a warm hearted comedy, based on life in a senior living center.

Through her blog, she was able to start what she called the "Jan Curran Fan Club", the idea behind it was for members to donate their old magazines and books to cancer treatment centers rather than throw them away. The Jan Curran Fan Club currently has a group on facebook with over one hundred members.

Click here for a wonderful article in the Desert Sun, the daily newspaper in Palm Springs.

Read Jan Curran's Latest

" ACTIVE SENIOR LIVING was written by my cousin Jan Curran. Jan moved from the Palm Springs area to a senior living center near LA a couple of years ago to be near her kids as she was going through cancer treatments. Like the Golden Girls, the hit TV show of the 80, it deals with the various problems that come with aging. It is a tender book that will pull at your heartstrings, yet will also make you laugh out loud. You can order Active Senior Living by clicking here.

Jan Curran's Novel Published

Jan Curran, my cousin and inspiration for this blog, has written her latest novel, Active Senior Living, a humorous fictionalized account of a Southern California writer and newspaper reporter, whose battle with cancer forces her to move into an assisted living facility. You can order Jan's book by clicking here.

Jan Curran Fanclub Hits Facebook

The Jan Curran Fan Club began several years ago. My Cousin Jan was diagnosed with lung cancer . Jan began taking her magazine with her when getting treatments and decided to donate her extras for patients and their families to read. I'm sure a few doctors and administrators enjoyed the visits and donations as well. Jan began a lunch group in Palm Springs and then started writing about it in her blog. In my case where we deal with the mail, we get a real surplus of magazines. I myself started to donate them to hospitals.
With all the calls for national service, I noted that there was no JCFC on Facebook, which I believe is now the most popular networking site in the World. I decided to start a Jan Curran group with Jan's blessing, within 24 hours there were 20 new members.

My Three Cousins

My Cousin Jan has been an inspiration in doing this blog. Here she is with brothers Stan,
and Burl in this rare photograph off her blog.