STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Port Richmond High School will induct five alumni into its Hall of Fame on May 12, 2026, at 5 p.m. in the school’s Balish Auditorium. The Class of 2026 honorees span graduating classes from 1955 to 1995 and include a parks commissioner, an educator, a school administrator and two physicians.
Joseph M. Curran Jr., a 1955 graduate, served 14 years as Staten Island’s first borough parks commissioner during his 39-year career with the city’s Parks Department. Curran played a role in establishing Blue Heron Park, Bloomingdale Park, and Kingfisher Park, and acquired land for the 2,800-acre Staten Island Greenbelt.
After starting as an assistant gardener at Tompkins Square Park, he rose through the ranks, including tractor operator and foreman, before his appointment as commissioner. He retired in 1992 and is credited with helping Staten Island earn its nickname as the Borough of Parks…