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Stuart John Furman

Stuart John Furman
February 3, 1938 –
September 20, 2017

Stuart John Furman passed away peacefully surrounded by family and loved ones on September 20, 2017, in Pensacola, Florida. He was 79.

Stuart was born February 3, 1938, in Corbin, Kentucky. He attended St. Camillas Academy before moving to Florence, Alabama with his family in 1951. In Florence, he attended St. Joseph School and Coffee High School. He received his high school diploma at St. Bernard Preparatory School in Cullman, Alabama. After high school, Stuart felt called to serve as a monk in the Benedictine Order at St. Bernard Monastery. He lived a monastic life for 8 years and then served in the Navy for 4 years. While in the Navy, he was stationed on a destroyer at Subic Bay in the Philippines. After serving his country in the Navy, Stuart returned to Alabama and received a B.S. degree from Florence State University (now the University of North Alabama). He then went on to receive his M.S. degree in History from Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina.

Stuart taught high school and later worked as an assistant principal in the Greenville, South Carolina, Public School System. After his time teaching, he moved to the Washington, D. C. area where he was the manager of a Peoples Drug Store. In 1981, Stuart joined the Smithsonian Institute, where he served as Assistant in the Office of Facilities Services until his retirement in 2010. Stuart moved to Pensacola, Florida, in February, 2017, to be closer to family. He enjoyed living independently and took great pleasure in the small walking community of downtown Pensacola.

One of Stuart’s greatest joys was researching family genealogy, and he spent much of his spare time gathering and collecting information on his family lineage. He was blessed with a sharp sense of humor and always enjoyed laughing and joking with friends and family. His visits were the highlight of the year for his extended family. Stuart loved being around people and was able to continue making friends and living a happy life up until just a few days before his death.

Stuart was preceded in death by his parents Herbert J. Furman, Sr. and Lorene Furman, infant brother Stephen Furman, niece Rosemary Furman Skelton and great niece Leah Margaret Moorman. He is survived by his brother Herbert J. Furman, Jr. and wife Marian P. Furman, Camden, Alabama, his sister Margaret Tidwell, Florence, Alabama, 5 nephews: John Furman (Melissa), Michael Furman (Marianne), James Furman (Barbara), Paul Furman and Stephen Furman (Lee), 4 nieces: Mary Clare Rose, Anne Marie Moorman (Tom), Teresa Grey (Willy) and Laura Soper (Brad) and 27 great nieces and nephews.

A Funeral Mass will be offered for Stuart at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Camden, Alabama on Friday, November 24, 2017, at 10:00 am.

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