It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of Fred A. Curran, 80, who died peacefully at the Residence at Quarry Hill in South Burlington, Vt., on May 9, 2025.
Fred was the beloved and loving husband of Ann (Bissonette) Curran, who died in December of 2022. Theirs was a joy-filled marriage of 52 years and a wellspring of peace and comfort for Fred to the end of his days. In his waning weeks, he often expressed his pleasure at the prospect of being reunited with Ann.
Fred met Ann when they were both college students in Rochester, N.Y.: he at St. John Fisher College, she at Nazareth College. After Fred received his graduate degree from Boston College, he and Ann married in 1970 and found their true forever home in Burlington.
Fred was hired by the University of Vermont right out of grad school and became a highly regarded administrator, serving as director of institutional research for more than 30 years, including a period as assistant provost. It was said that any statistic one could want about UVM (or the entire American educational system) could be found at Fred’s fingertips.
He held leadership positions on state and regional higher education boards and commissions. Following his retirement, he served on the executive board of UVM’s Retired Faculty and Administrative Officers Organization.
He was a man of many interests, ranging from an encyclopedic knowledge of the First World War to mystery novels, cooking, travel and long walks all over Burlington. His lifelong love of gadgetry meant that if there was a new piece of electronic equipment you’d just heard about, chances were that Fred already had it.
He and Ann shared a love of birding and traveled the U.S., Canada, Europe and even Sri Lanka in pursuit of species both domestic and exotic. And you could be sure that Fred would be the birder with the latest, most sophisticated binoculars (not to mention the field jacket with the most pockets).
He and Ann subscribed to the Opéra de Montréal and traveled there often, though it could be said that the city’s many gourmet international restaurants were an added draw for Fred. His love of good food, great wines and well-made cocktails (especially perfect Manhattans) was legendary.
He was a great booster of UVM athletics, especially men’s basketball and hockey. He and Ann were courtside regulars at Catamounts games and at the Frozen Four playoffs.
If a man’s life may be measured, at least in part, by how he made those around him feel, then Fred’s life must be judged a great success. His innate warmth and sociability made him a pleasure to be with. Even when faced with his own health challenges, he found the humor in life’s little ironies. He was a much-loved figure at Quarry Hill and was famous for welcoming newcomers and helping them get settled.
Fred’s family would like to thank his many friends, most of whom had been part of his life for decades, for their unending love and support. Thanks also go out to his devoted caregivers; to the staff, nurses and administrators at the Residence at Quarry Hill; and to the many caring people at BAYADA hospice.
Fred was predeceased by his mother, Alma Ulber Indivino; his father, Arthur Curran; his stepfather, Tracy Indivino; and uncles Alfred and Robert Ulber and Maurius and Albert Centoz. He is survived by his brother-in-law, Paul Bissonette, and wife Barbara Silvestri; his niece, Maya Bissonette, and husband David Tamburin; his nephew, Bohdan Bissonette, and wife Melissa and daughter Josie; his aunt Bonnie Ulber; and by his cousins in New York, California and Arizona.
In Fred’s memory, donations are encouraged in his name to Habitat for Humanity or HomeShare Vermont.
A mass will be celebrated on Monday, July 21, 2025, 11 a.m., at St. Francis Xavier Church in Winooski, Vt.
This article appears in May 14-20, 2025.