Don Furth

Dear WERU family members,

It is with a heavy heart that I contact you with news of the passing of Don Furth, a most wonderful human being and “elder statesman” who volunteered at WERU for fifteen years, truly defining the term and exemplifying the importance of “behind-the-scenes” work at Community Radio.  Don succumbed to a heart attack this Sunday, March 11.  In recent years he had been physically weakened but lived nobly with Parkinson’s disease. 

Don is survived by his precious wife, Sue, and his beloved circle of family and friends.  He was well-known in the Hancock County community as a quite, humble, dignified, warm, wryly witty and steadying presence on a variety of boards and advisory groups.  He was an avid tennis player, hammer dulcimer player with the Black Socks String Band and acclaimed as one of the world’s greatest grandfathers.  Don was just a wonderful, wonderful man, through and through.

Don Furth started volunteering at WERU early in the station’s history after a long and distinguished career as an IBM executive.  He offered to help with station databases and obtained donations of some of our very first computers.   Don set up our first member database and for over fourteen years came in twice weekly and entered pledges, sent out thank you and renewal letters and otherwise took care of the “back end” of what were then known as “Funathons.”  He was a fixture at the Full Circle Fair, from the first event until just a few years ago, operating the bank or “counting house” to track our fundraising proceeds and pay expenses associated with the fair.  For many years Don served on the station Finance Committee.  He received our WERU Volunteer of the Year Award (aka the “Golden Gourd Award”).  While Don contributed incalculable hours of great volunteer work for Community Radio, his voice was rarely, if ever, heard on the air.

Over the years Don was also a calm and comforting advisor, a wise sage and a beloved father figure to many of the station’s staff and volunteer leaders.  (In fact, a good deal of what I know about being a manager I learned from Don.)  Great counsel, a pat on the back, a warm laugh and parting smile were just a few of the gifts Don gave to those he worked with at WERU.  Though away from the station in recent years Don had remained in close contact with many of us and we will miss him beyond words.

A celebration of Don’s life will take place on Saturday, April 22 at the Cobscook Community Learning Center in Trescott Township (www.thecclc.org).  The address for those who would like to send cards to Sue, their son Alan and the rest of Don’s family:

143 Timber Cove Road

Trescott Twp, ME

04652-5027

Sincerely,

Matt Murphy

General Manager

(Thanks to Jim Campbell, a fellow student and friend of Don’s, for his helping writing this remembrance.)