Blue Ridge School is mourning the passing of a dear friend. Margaret Anne Morris Curran of Stanardsville, Virginia, passed away on January 2, 2020.
Mrs. Curran was as private as she was generous. She contributed to renovations and beautification of Martha Bagby Battle House and Gibson Memorial Chapel, where her parents John Joseph Morris and Genevieve Eddins Morris were married in 1936. Mrs. Curran followed in her parents footsteps, literally, when she also was married in Gibson Memorial Chapel. Her father was a 1928 alumnus of Blue Ridge and taught at the School for two years. He later served on the Board of Trustees for 17 years.
Mrs. Curran earned her bachelor of medical science degree from Emory University and her master’s degree from Old Dominion University. In 2007, she retired from a career at Northside Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, and returned to live in Stanardsville.
On January 9, 2020, a memorial service for Mrs. Curran was held in Gibson Memorial Chapel. During the service Headmaster Trip Darrin remarked, “During the many times I spoke with her, she was always the same – modest, focused, and mindful above all else that she wanted to celebrate others, most notably her family. In time, she was no longer just our partner. She was our friend, our confidante, our sage, and a link to our institution’s history we never knew we had. She helped us to better understand why this School was founded, what it was capable of, and what it could yet be – should yet be – in the future to come. And, with Maggie, these were more than just well-intentioned words. She made it possible for us to move Blue Ridge School forward in several very important ways.”
Associate Headmaster for External Affairs Franklin Daniels added, “It is truly my honor to have known Mrs. Curran. Her devotion to Blue Ridge School – and her gratitude for the impact BRS had on her family – are unmatched in my experience. She made my life better as a wonderful friend, and her incredible generosity and love of Gibson Chapel leave a powerful legacy for us all.”
