Patricia Ann Curran was an American attorney

Lawyer

A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...

. She had two children, Matthew Curran Corbett (1983) and Claire Curran Corbett (1986), with husband Douglas L. Corbett.

Curran was born on January 19, 1949, the middle of three children. Her father, Major Howard J. Curran, was a well known pilot. He was shot down and captured in Albania

Albania

Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...

 in 1958, and presumed dead. After being held for 15 days he was released and reunited with his children. The story was covered by LIFE Magazine in their January 27, 1958 issue.http://www.gettyimages.es/detail/50337942/Time-Life-Pictures

Curran graduated from the Aquinas Academy for Girls (now Bellarmine Preparatory School

Bellarmine Preparatory School

Bellarmine Preparatory School is a Roman Catholic high school in the Jesuit tradition in Tacoma, Washington, USA. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle. Today it serves just over 1,000 students from the Greater Tacoma area....

) of Tacoma, Washington

Tacoma, Washington

Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...

 in 1967. She graduated from George Washington University

George Washington University

The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...

 in 1971 and The George Washington University Law School

The George Washington University Law School

The George Washington University Law School, commonly referred to as GW Law, is the law school of The George Washington University. It was founded in 1825 and is the oldest law school in Washington, D.C. The school is accredited by the American Bar Association and is a charter member of the...

 in 1974.

Curran served on the board of directors of the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas

Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas

The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County is a major public transportation agency based in Houston . It operates bus, light rail, future commuter rail, and paratransit service in the city as well as most of Harris County...

, and as alderman

Alderman

An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...

 and mayor

Mayor

In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....

 pro tem of the City of Piney Point Village. She also served the state of Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

 from September 1997 to December 1998. Curran was a Houston attorney when Gov. George W. Bush

George W. Bush

George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....

 appointed her as Commissioner of the Public Utility Commission (PUC) on Sept. 15, 1997. She resigned in December 1998 because of her health.http://www.puc.state.tx.us/nrelease/1999/082099.cfm

Before her appointment she served as staff counsel at the Federal Power Commission, now the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is the United States federal agency with jurisdiction over interstate electricity sales, wholesale electric rates, hydroelectric licensing, natural gas pricing, and oil pipeline rates...

. She also worked as director of oil and gas sales at Pennzoil

Pennzoil

Pennzoil is an American oil company founded in Los Angeles, California in 1913. In 1955, it was acquired by Oil City, Pennsylvania company South Penn Oil, a former branch of Standard Oil. In 1963, South Penn Oil merged with Zapata Petroleum; the merged company took the Pennzoil name. During the...

before founding the Houston law offices of Patricia A. Curran, now Corbett & Schreck, P.C.http://www.puc.state.tx.us/nrelease/1999/082099.cfm

"Pat Curran was one of the most extraordinary persons I have ever known. Her intellect and common sense were matched only by her humor and strength," said PUC Chairman Pat Wood, III. "She contributed more to the PUC in 15 months than most do in six years. Texas has lost a great woman, and I have lost a dear friend."

http://www.puc.state.tx.us/nrelease/1999/082099.cfm