Individual Details

Death

Judith (Judy) Ann Gordon Furr, 70, of Pulaski County, formerly of Roanoke, Va., died unexpectedly of pulmonary embolus on Monday, January 28, 2008. She was preceded in death by her parents, Lois and Pete Gordon, of Roanoke, Va. She is survived by her devoted and loving husband of 50 years; Litt Furr; sister-in-law, Mary Catherine Furr; son, David Furr; daughter, Mary Rosser Furr, of Roanoke, Va. Also surviving are many cousins, aunts, uncles and devoted friends; and her beloved dog, Denali. She loved to tell the story of how she met her husband on a blind date; how she was not interested in blind dates, but after that first glance, it was love at first sight. She never looked back. She earned an undergraduate BA degree from Emory and Henry College and a Masters of Education with a specialty in group consulting from the University of VA. Judy was a dedicated volunteer for many years with local organizations such as TAP and other human service organizations though out the Roanoke Valley. She was active in Girl Scouts as a young girl and went on to become a Girl Scout leader during her adult life. Her devotion to nature and the surrounding wildlife lead her to teach the children around her what she loved the most; the spirit of nature and wildlife, how to honor the earth and conserve what we have. She was an avid bird watcher her whole life and she was a walking encyclopedia on wildlife: plants, bugs, flowers, animals and birds. She once said, "Even the rocks have a soul." Not one living thing escaped her love and devotion. She volunteered her services for the Episcopal Churches of SW Virginia and was very active at the diocesan level; traveling and working as a consultant for the Episcopal church and other local business. She also traveled for pleasure and saw much of the United States West Coast and had the opportunity to travel abroad. She loved to visit and experience other ways of life and cultures. But she always loved to return to her beloved home on Claytor Lake. She said she was the most proud of two things that she did in her life; walking the strike line with coal miners and their supporters, and in 1993, along with local friends and supporters, starting Friends of Claytor Lake (FOCL) her response to the derby build-up in Claytor Lake. FOCL, among other things, is dedicated to conserving and protecting the water quality of Claytor Lake. She was actively outspoken and held long standing deep convictions about local and national politics, recycling and preserving the environment, human rights and dignity for all people. In the summer of 1988, she fell while hiking at Pedernales Falls near Austin, Texas. The injuries she sustained slowed her down over the years and her ability to get around became limited due to pain and multiple physical aliments. In the last three years of her life her ability to manage pain and disability became an ongoing struggle. In the last few months of her life she was honored and validated in all the areas of her life that mattered most to her; the value of nature and the environment, spiritually, local activism and her work. In December of 2007, she was recognized and honored for her work with FOCL and because of her life long work of group consulting, she was recently nominated to be on the board of the Restless Leg Syndrome Foundation, of which she was very proud and honored to do so. The family wishes to thank the ER and ICU staff, nurses and doctors at Lewis Gale Hospital for their help and support during this difficult time. Memorial services will be held at 11 a.m. on March 4, 2008, at the Christ Episcopal Church, 1101 Franklin Road S.W., Roanoke, Va. Officiating are the Rt. Rev. Heath Light, the Rev. Deborah Hentz Hunley, the Rev. Sue Bentley and the Rev. Vicki L. Houk. On April 27, 2008, there will be a second, informal memorial service and gathering to celebrate Judy's life; to be held at her home on Claytor Lake from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. In lieu of flowers, family and friends can make donations to FOCL (Friends of Claytor Lake), the Restless Leg Syndrome Foundation or the Epilepsy Foundation. Published in the Roanoke Times from 2/29/2008 - 3/2/2008.