Margaret Ann Currin

Born in Lewiston, Idaho on June 17, 1934 to Elmer and Catherine Gill; Margaret died on

November 9, 2025 at the age of 91, surrounded in her last days, as in her life, by her

family and friends. Raised in Clarkston, Washington, Margaret lived the life of a small

town girl with a loving family. She was active in her school and her community. She

lettered in basketball in high school and was a majorette, with the band behind her in

many local and regional parades and events. After graduation, Margaret attended

Washington State University. Her education was temporarily put on hold when she

married her high school sweetheart, Douglas Ross Currin. As a young wife and mother,

Margaret spent the next several years growing her family, as they moved from

Clarkston, to Seattle, to San Francisco, Denver and then to Bellevue. She later returned

to college, receiving her Bachelors from the University of Washington in 1978 and

subsequently her Master’s Degree in Social Work in 1980 from that same institution.

Although she never abandoned her Cougar roots, she was a loyal Husky.

Margaret began her professional career at Eastside Mental Health in Bellevue, WA.

She was later recruited to become the founding Director of Alliance House in Salt Lake

City where she worked until her retirement. At Alliance House, with her dedicated team,

Margaret helped create and implement one of the earliest Clubhouse Model Programs

in the US, which helped mentally ill people lead full and productive lives. She and her

Alliance House colleagues collaborated with the groundbreaking Fountain House

Program in New York City. Margaret trained and later taught their pioneering model in

working with severely mentally ill adults, joining their faculty as a national and

international trainer. Margaret, as a passionate advocate for the mentally ill, consulted

and collaborated in the establishment of Clubhouse Programs throughout the United

States and the world, but her true professional home was Alliance House. She was

honored by the State of Utah and Salt Lake County for her contributions to treatment of

the mentally ill. At the end of her career, she continued to consult with Clubhouses

around the world. She left Salt Lake City and returned to Bellevue when she retired.

In her retirement, Margaret enjoyed frequent international travel, visiting former

colleagues or taking trips with children and grandchildren. The consummate host,

Margaret enjoyed entertaining and cooking for family and friends, making her home the

center of gatherings and celebrations and, in her later years, a place for lively

discussions with her beloved book group. She met her declining years head on, with

grace, humor and humility. Margaret is survived by her three children; Michael (Mardi),

Mark (Caroline) and Megan (Shawn), seven grandchildren; Tristan, Lauren, Adelaide,

Joseph, Casey, Chloe, Michael, and three great-grandchildren; Cassidy, Jasper and

Arjan, a nephew and nieces. She loved us all and we all reciprocated. She will be

profoundly missed.

The family is thankful for the kindness and care provided by the staff at Columbia

Lutheran Home and the Northgate Plaza. A memorial service will be held at a later

date. Should you be interested, the family suggests her memory be honored by

contributions to Alliance House, Salt Lake City, Utah.