HONOLULU (Island News) — Longtime local sports broadcasting icon Bobby Curran was honored with a Celebration of life ceremony Sunday.
The six-time Hawaii Sportscaster of the Year set the standard in the Aloha State .
Don Murphy, owner of Murphy’s Bar and Grill said, “His game preparation was unbelievable, he knew more about the players on the other team than the coaches on the other team did.”
He Graced the airwaves for over thirty years as a broadcaster for University of Hawaii athletics, he was honored Sunday in a celebration of life in Honolulu.
Adrienne Sweeney stated, “My husband and I used to listen to Bobby every morning, on his morning show, morning drive show, and after my husband passed away, I would still listen to Bobby, and he got me through those very difficult times.”
He passed away on March 9th of this year.
Friends, family, community members and former co-workers attended Sunday’s event.
Curran was play-by-play announcer for more than 400 UH broadcasts over the course of 32 football seasons.
He was known as a storyteller and magician behind the mic.
Curran’s former broadcast partner John Veneri told Island News, “The way he was able to paint a picture for folks listening to the radio, was just amazing, not just broadcasts, or his sport show in the morning, – but the knowledge he had of every sport, and how he was able to relay that to listeners, was pretty amazing.”
One of Sunday’s guests included legendary Hawaii football coach June Jones.
Jones said, “Bobby was a true loyalist to the university, and to the state of Hawaii, so between he and I, I came 40 years ago, he came 50 years ago, we claimed Kama Aina, that’s Bobby.”
“We talked about doing a show when he got healthy again, even down to the end , talking to him four our five days, before he passed, you know his peace and where he was, was a good place”, added Jones.
Broadcaster Rich Miano shared, “To have a 40 something year career, he not only did football and basketball, he could do any sport, three hours in the morning, drive time radio show, he was phenomenal, at what he did.”
Breathing life into countless broadcasts, Curran endured a double lung transplant and eventually went on to broadcast again.
Veneri said, “He went through immense amounts of rehabilitation, first of all, and being with him, the moment he found out that he needed lifesaving surgery, and the fact he was able to get it, and recover from it, was amazing – he worked so hard to be able to come back.”
Bobby Curran passed away at the age of 69, he’s survived by his wife Jo and sons Max and Finn.
A reading foundation has been set up on curran’s behalf. His desire to teach adults and children to read in his retirement years was not realized due to his untimely death.
For more information visit: www.thebobbycurranliterarylegacy.com
The site may still be under construction at this time.
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