John Furlow, Society's First President Dies
May 20, 2014 at 8:54 PM
Dr. John W. Furlow, 74, first president of the DuBois Area Historical Society, died May 13, 2014, in Lancaster, Ohio.
Furlow, a faculty member at Penn State DuBois in 1982, was part of a committee that included Dr. Louis Barsi, also from Penn State DuBois, Marilyn Schere of the DuBois Mansion Society, and Evo Facchine, president of the DuBois Chamber of Commerce, which led the organizational drive for what would become the DuBois Area Historical Society.
At an organization meeting Furlow was elected the Society’s president heading an executive board that included Sam King as vice president, Lois Pegg as secretary, and Facchine as treasurer.
Furlow served as president of the society during its first two years, building the framework of an organization still in operation 32 years later. During his presidency, Furlow started regular guest speaker meetings, inviting the community to attend and learn more about the area history.
Furlow was born on May 3, 1940, in Philadelphia, Pa. He received his Ph.D. in U.S. history at the University of North Carolina, his M.A. from the University of Michigan, and his B.A. from Middlebury College, Vt. He contributed to four books, published in numerous scholarly journals, and wrote a text for independent learning.
He spent 25 years in regional higher education. He served as the director of academic affairs at Penn State DuBois campus and as an assistant professor of history. He also held full-time teaching positions at the University of North Carolina in Charlotte; Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, Pa.; and Penn State University. From 1993-2011 he served as assistant history professor, associate dean and dean at Ohio University-Lancaster. He retired as Dean Emeritus.
Furlow is survived by his wife of 52 years, Judy Furlow. Judy was also active with the DuBois Area Historical Society, serving as an officer. He is also survived by his children, Dr. David and Teri Furlow and their children, Abbi and Alex; Sam and Carla Furlow and their daughter, Hannah; and Eliza and Ross Peterson and their children, Jack, Will, and Kate; and several nephews and nieces.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. John W. Furlow, Sr.; and two sisters.
The funeral service was held on Saturday, May 17, in St. John's Episcopal Church, Lancaster. Entombment was in the Floral Hills Memorial Gardens Mausoleum.