Individual Details

Death

Coach Gerald Page Furr A resident of Baton Rouge, he died at 2:25 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2007, at age 74. Visiting at First Presbyterian Church, 707 North Blvd., on Monday, Nov. 26, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Visiting resumes at the church on Tuesday, Nov. 27, from 9:30 a.m. until religious service at 11 a.m., conducted by the Rev. Gerrit Dawson and the Rev. Charles Wood. Interment in Wetmore Cemetery, Ponchatoula. Coach was born on July 20, 1933, in Wisner, the oldest son of Joe Nixon Furr and Jesse Mae Wells Furr. He earned a bachelor's degree from Northwestern Louisiana University and a master's degree from the University of Colorado, Greely. He served in the U.S. Army in Korea. Coach was a member of First Presbyterian Church. He died following a long struggle with Parkinson's disease. He was given loving care in the last years of his life by the Wellness Center at St. James Place and in his last days at the Butterfly Wing of Hospice of Baton Rouge. Coach served for 23 years as a teacher, coach and athletic director at University High School and will be missed by his beloved Cub family. During his career at U-High, he led the Cubs to consecutive basketball state championships followed by two state runner-up titles. His basketball teams won seven district championships and reached the playoffs 15 times. He was selected District Coach of the Year seven times, Louisiana Sportswriters Coach of the Year twice and Louisiana Association of Basketball Coaches Coach of the Year. He was inducted into the Louisiana High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame and the University High School Athletic Hall of Fame. He also received the LSU Service Award and the LSU Basketball Coaching Legend Award. He also led the Cubs to two state championships in track and field and six consecutive state championships in cross-country. He was the defensive coordinator for two U-High football state championships and four state runner-up titles. More than for his titles, Coach will be remembered for being instrumental in molding the lives of many young men through his character, inspiration, perseverance, dedication to hard work and sacrificial love for and devotion to his student athletes. Coach is survived by his wife, Dorothy "Cissie" Bodker Furr; their sons, Brett Page Furr and Joseph Weldon Furr; and daughters-in-law, Renee Starring Furr and Susan Wood Furr. He especially loved his five grandchildren, Laura Adele Furr, Kathleen Page Furr, Clayton Gerald Furr, Joseph Weldon Furr Jr. and Anne Maurine Furr. He is also survived by two brothers, William Joseph Furr, of Dallas, and J.E. Furr, of Houston; two sisters-in-law, Christine Fritz Furr and Jo Henson Furr; a brother-in-law, A.J. Bodker and his wife, Colleen Howes Bodker; and many nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins. Pallbearers will be Richard Cloy and coaches Jimmy Gilbert, Willis Stelly, Steve Maddox, Mark Evans, Larry Grantham, Mike Martin, Johnny Shoptaugh and Ari Fisher. Honorary pallbearers are Julien "Son" Batey, Walter "Jay" Pierron and Jackson Ensminger. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in memory of Coach Furr to the University Laboratory School Foundation's ULSF Future Fund. Gifts will support the construction of a new U-High gymnasium to honor the many happy years he devoted to teaching, motivating and inspiring student athletes. Go Cubs!
Published in The Advocate on 11/25/2007.