Hancock, NH – Mary “Polly” Curran passed away peacefully on August 17, 2026, at the age of 96, at Spring Village at Summerhill in Peterborough, New Hampshire. Polly lived a life defined by devotion to family, adventure, intellectual interests, and service to her community.
Born Mary Greenish Emery on June 7, 1930, to Florence Josephine (Fassnacht) Emery and Francis Joseph Emery, Polly grew up in West Roxbury, Massachusetts. She graduated from Girls’ Latin School in 1948 and attended Katherine Gibbs Secretarial College. On October 12, 1951, Polly married her dance class partner, James “Jim” Colin Curran, in Boston.
Polly and Jim embarked together on an extraordinary life that carried them across the world through Jim’s diplomatic roles in the United States Foreign Service. From Iran and South Africa to Tanzania, Togo, and Australia, Polly and Jim raised a family and traveled with them. Polly always created welcoming homes and embraced the people and cultures of every place they lived. During a stateside post in Washington D. C., Polly worked in office management and administration with a lawyer, Alan Morrison, at the Public Citizen Litigation Group and Ralph Nader’s Public Interest Research Group.
In 1979, Polly and Jim settled in Hancock, New Hampshire, purchasing Birch Ridge, the former summer house of Ambassador Cecil and Elsie Lyon. Polly immersed herself in Hancock village life as a steadfast supporter of the many organizations and cultural institutions that enrich the Monadnock Region. She was a member of the Hancock Woman’s Club, participant in Tuesday Academy, frequent attendee of Monadnock Music concerts, and supporter of Jim’s campaigns for State Representative.
In 2017, Polly and Jim moved to Summerhill Assisted Living in Peterborough, New Hampshire. They embraced the move, treating the idea as another post where they would get to know new and interesting people among the residents and staff. They found joy in the activities and contributed to the community there giving talks about their experiences overseas.
Polly and Jim forged lasting friendships across the globe and stayed in touch through letter writing, traveling abroad, and hosting gatherings at Birch Ridge. Polly was a gracious host, a thoughtful friend, and above all, she took great pride in her family, delighting in the accomplishments and adventures of each new generation. Those who knew Polly will remember her warmth, intelligence, resilience, and generous spirit. Her life was marked by love for her family and friends, curiosity about the world, and a genuine joie de vivre and kindness that touched all who had the privilege of knowing her.
She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Jim, who passed away in 2021, her sister Jean (Emery) Koch who passed in 1993, and her son, Matthew, who passed in 1990.
She is survived by her sister, F. A. Nancy (Emery) Meanix, of Honeybrook, Pennsylvania; her children: Bonnie Bokenkamp (Gary) of Brewster, Massachusetts, Louis Curran of Baltimore, Maryland, Moira Suter (William) of Manassas, Virginia, Benjamin Curran (Haregewoin) of Washington, D.C., Edmund Curran of Lismore, Australia, Sean Curran of Manchester, New Hampshire, and Sarah Annecone of Boulder, Colorado; as well as 15 grandchildren, 10 great- grandchildren, and 13 nieces and nephews.
The interment of Polly’s ashes will be October 11, 2026 at Hillside Cemetery in Hancock, New Hampshire and friends are welcome to attend from 1-1:30 p.m. An additional celebration of Polly’s life will be announced by the family at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Hancock Woman’s Club (P.O. Box 366, Hancock, NH 03449), in honor of Polly Curran.
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