WOODBRIDGE – Claire Curran-Miloscia will add another hat to her repertoire when she leads the 47th annual Woodbridge St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
This year she will serve as grand marshal as the parade kicks off at Woodbridge High School at 1:30 p.m. on March 8. Typically she dresses as the Leprechaun during the parades.
“I am humbled to receive this honor to lead the 47th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade,” Curran-Miloscia said, adding appreciation for the Woodbridge American Irish Association in her selection as Grand Marshal.
She previously has served as president and director of the township Irish Association and now leads the Justin McCarthy Scholastic Award committee.
Curran-Miloscia joined the working class right out of high school as a secretary for Marine Transport Lines in New York City and in June 2017, she retired from Fords Middle School.
Her first husband Barney Curran’s father was born and raised in County Cavan in Ireland. She had the opportunity to visit her husband’s family in 1989. Claire and Barney, who has since passed away, raised four children, Brian, Colleen (Barcellona), Kevin and Susan.
With her marriage to Larry Miloscia, she gained three stepchildren, Frank, Larry Jr. and Rosann Miloscia. Together they have seven grandchildren – Amy Barcellona, Karen Peregine, Michael Barcellona, Jennifer, James, Sean and Maura Curran – four step grand-children – Beth, Jennifer, LJ and Frank Miloscia – and nine great-grandchildren – Mackenzie and Payton Wendel, Vienna Barcellona, Kaila and Kara Buirkel, Isabella and Gabriella Peregine, and Declan and Tyler Curran.
Curran-Miloscia is very active in the township – in and out of costume. Wherever there is a party, she is there, her fellow association members have said.
She serves as Queen Isabella on Columbus Day and in the holiday parade and activities, she serves as Mrs. Claus. She has served as queen of her Port Reading Red Hatter’s Society, president of the Woodbridge High School Band Parents Association and served as charter member and past president of Don Bosco Columbiettes in Port Reading. She currently serves as financial secretary of the Don Bosco Columbiettes.
Curran-Miloscia also serves as a Eucharistic minister at St. Anthony of Padua Church in Port Reading. And as a member of the Sewaren Senior Citizens, she has traveled to casinos and the Irish Weekends in Wildwood.
The parade chair this year is Maureen Kelly-Jurgens. The association’s Irish Woman of the Year is Barbara Lasek. Terence Patrick Sharkey is Irishman of the Year. Grace Fischer, a senior at Roselle Catholic High School, is serving as Miss American Irish, and Erin Sinatra, a senior at JFK Memorial High School, is serving as Lady in Waiting.
The Woodbridge American Irish Association is an Irish civic and social organization that has been around for 53 years. The association meets monthly and participates in a variety of community service events including feeding the homeless, sponsoring the Justin McCarthy Scholarship, maintaining the Charlie Shaughnessy Park, holding the Joe Ward Breakfast, visiting the Menlo Park Veterans Home in Edison, and participating in Tooling Around the Township.
The parade is funded with advertisements from local businesses and donations. To support the parade, visit Amerirish.com or visit the association’s social media.
The association and honoree ceremony will be held at 9 a.m. immediately following the flag raising ceremony at Town Hall, 1 Main St., on March 8. The parade will kick off at 1:30 p.m. at Woodbridge High School and ends at Woodbridge Town Hall. The post parade party will be held from 4-8 p.m. at the Woodbridge Community Center, 600 Main St.
For more information, contact Maureen Kelly-Jurgens at [email protected].