We’ve lost Paul Curran, our master guest columnist and prolific comment-leaver

/ October 8, 2016

Those of us who’ve grown to love the lively words that bounced from the head and fingers of Paul Curran will never be the same.

The writer from Canada has died, according to his neighbor Steve Watson.

I received this email on the contact tab from my blog:

With great sadness I have to tell you that Paul Curran has passed away. Paul passed last week.

Our guest blogger, Paul Curran.

Our guest blogger, Paul Curran.

Your Barrista -- Paul Curran

Your Barrista — Paul Curran

Now Your Barrista – Paul Curran

Now Your Barrista – Paul
Curran

A series of the column head shots Paul sent me since 2013 to just a month ago.

I found the email this morning. I arrived yesterday. Steve Watson was listed as the photographer in the If We Were Having Coffee Sunday column Paul had me post here on Sept. 11 after his emergency operation.

I could not find an obituary through search engines.

Paul lived in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. He was hoping to move to Vancouver.

I first met Paul when he began commenting on my stories when I began this blog here on WordPress in March 2013. In May 2014 he told me about a time he and his buddies drove a golf cart into a pond. He sent me the photo so I could post it here. A wonderful relationship grew. I urged him to begin his own blog, but he maintained that his computer was too old and haphazard

Shortly after that, he began writing a regular Sunday Cuppa feature for willowdot21 as well as commenting frequently on more and more WordPress blogs.

An email conversation we had after a comment he had on my movie review of The Judge did not publish resulted in him accepting my invitation to write his first guest post for me. I hit publish on Mum on Oct. 19, 2014. I knew I had a special blogger on my hands, and – yes, I’ll admit it – badgered him somewhat to write more, for me and others here in BloggyVille. I never could convince him to start his own blog. He did continue to write more, here and for other special people in this community of ours. On America’s Father’s Day in 2015, I published The Chief, which I considered the bookend to Paul’s aforementioned piece on his mother, two complicated and fascinating looks at growing up and thereafter.

Afterward, he began regularly contributing to Cordelia’s Mom, Still, and my friend at that fantastic blog created a glossary of Paul’s WordPress work.

Then came a period of Paul Curran silence. After a week or so, I grew worried and put out a WordPress call. After all, Paul’s bout with cancer before all of this and subsequent kidney disease and regular dialysis appointments were common knowledge.

Fellow Canadian blogger Linda G. Hill volunteered to stop by his apartment on a trip to his home city. Bad WiFi was found to be the cause, Linda reported on her blog.

WordPress rejoiced at the news. WiFi was fixed. We got our Paul back. His Sunday column came to me, with some rockiness because of his dialysis treatment. I did not receive a column last week. Not the first time in the past several months.

Now, this news.

Sadness, yes. Much sadness.

He was smart. He was worldly. He knew a little bit – or a lot – about most things he saw chose to click upon here on WordPress. He was not shy about sharing that knowledge. Ha!

I look to the north right now and say words of praise and love for Paul Curran. You will be missed very much, good sir.

Now I humbly ask you to share this post, my attempt at a WordPress obituary. I think our community must get the word out about the loss of the man who graced so many blogs with his way with words. If you write your own post about Paul, please link it to this post and tag it Paul Curran’s Passing.

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158 thoughts on “We’ve lost Paul Curran, our master guest columnist and prolific comment-leaver”

  2. This is, indeed, very sad news. I cannot “like” this post. It was Paul’s having been “lost and found” that made me aware of depth of caring the blogosphere. I do not spend nearly as much time here as I’d like. RIP Paul, and thank you to all who care for fellow bloggers. Thank you, Mark.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  3. Mark, I’m so, so sorry to hear of Paul’s death. He was a wonderful guy with such love in his heart and words.
    Your shock is palpable and I’m sure that he will be deeply missed by more people than we will ever know. jxx

    Like

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  16. Rest In Peace, my friend! May all your journeys on “the other side” be more wonderful than you ever imagined!

    To all of Paul’s friends and loved ones, please know that life is eternal. The one we knew here in the physical will never be truly gone. He has merely changed to a different form–and all will one day be reunited.

    Though you may not be able to hear or see him in the way you are used to, know that he is now closer to you than ever.

    Love endures all and even surpasses the limits of physical life as we know it.

    With Love,
    Stargazer
    ❤ ❤ ❤

    Liked by 1 person

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  19. Reblogged this on Linda G. Hill and commented:
    Well, I’ve spent the majority of my time online today looking for confirmation, but I’ve come up with nothing either way. Why have I gone to such lengths? Because I don’t want to believe it.
    I’m happy to have had the chance to shake Paul’s hand. A more warm and welcoming man I have never met.
    Rest in peace, my friend. It was good to know you.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

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  26. Paul and I only met recently, but he always had an opened bottle of Muscadet for me. A fine person. Funny, witty, intelligent. I looked forward to his Sunday posts. He was thoughtful, and a lovely commenter. Will miss you Paul. Xx

    Liked by 2 people

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  27. I don’t know how many times I said to my husband “did you see what Paul wrote?” or too often, recently and sadly, “I haven’t seen Paul for a few days”. Thank you for letting us know Mark. And may his soul rest in peace, but with a thoughtful and entertaining tale to those listening and reading beyond us.

    Liked by 1 person

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  36. Reblogged this on The Monster in Your Closet and commented:
    I loved Paul’s comments.

    Though we never met face to face, I will miss him greatly.

    In his last email to me, he wrote, “Sometimes we are only offered bad choices Deborah, but to refuse to choose is to loose the right to choose.”

    Today I’ll make some loving choices in memory–and honor–of Paul.

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

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  46. Oh what sad, sad news. I am heartbroken to think that he won’t make it to Vancouver. That he won’t be sharing his experiences with all of us any more. That such a warm bright light is no more.

    Thanks for spreading the word. I’m going to reblog to let folks who might see it there know.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

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