Former mayor loses cancer fight

POPULAR . . . John Curran

A FORMER Mayor of Oldham has lost his battle with cancer less than a week before his 78th birthday.

Former Conservative Councillor John Curran, who served as Oldham Mayor in 1983, died at his home in Taunton Road, Chadderton, on Monday with his wife, Marie — also a former councillor — by his side.

Mr Curran leaves two sons, Michael and Tony, five grandchildren and a great-grandchild.

Popular Mr Curran was first elected as a member of Chadderton Urban District Council in 1969 and later had various spells on Oldham Council, serving on all the main committees.

He also led the council’s Tory group before stepping down in 2004.

Mr Curran served on the former Greater Manchester Council and was a former president of Oldham West and Royton Conservative Association.

When John and Marie celebrated their ruby wedding in 1994, they asked guests to make a donation to Dr Kershaw’s instead of buying them gifts. They raised £802 for the Royton hospice.

In 1986, the couple took a six-week trip to Melbourne in Australia where they met up with two local mayors and even managed to appear on one of the local TV channels.

In 1991, Mr Curran was forced to take two months off work at British Aerospace when he fell and broke both his arms during a family holiday in Blackpool.

Funeral arrangements have not yet been made.