Samuel Francis Furgiuele, Sr. 99, of Indiana, Pennsylvania passed away peacefully on November 1, 2017.
Sam was born on November 18, 1917 in Marion Center, Pennsylvania to Matilda and Gaetano Furgiuele. At birth, his parents named him Settimio, which was Italian for seventh son. Just before he entered school in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, he chose to be called Samuel. Since then he has had many names, for he has fulfilled a multitude of special roles to the many lives he has touched. He has been called Sam, Sammy, Dad, Granddad, and Great Furgiuele (by his great grandchildren.) He has been called Mr. Furgiuele and Professor Furgiuele by his many students, and Lieutenant, Captain and Major Furgiuele by his comrades in the armed forces for which he proudly served. He was called Signore Furgiuele while visiting family in Italy, and called friend by many.
When Sam retired from teaching at Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1978, he had already lived many lives. After graduating from Beaver Falls High School in 1936 he moved to Indiana County to work in the coal mines. In 1942, shortly after the start of World War II, he was drafted into the army where he completed Officer Candidate School and eventually went on to become Second Lieutenant of the United States Army’s 18th Field Artillery. He saw combat in the war as a forward artillery observer, and he was awarded the Air Medal for flying more than 30 sorties over France, Belgium and Germany.
War time brought many changes, not the least of which was an introduction to Sarah Stewart one fateful evening in Atlanta, Georgia. After a few short months of “falling in head over heels” the two were married on February 6, 1944. The young couple eventually moved back to Indiana where they created a beautiful home, family and network of life-long friends who they treasured deeply.
In 1947, at age 29, Sam entered Indiana State Teachers College (ISTC) now Indiana University of Pennsylvania, graduating in 1949 with a teaching degree in English. For seven years, he taught English and geography to seventh and ninth-grade students in Indiana schools. He became an English professor at ISTC in 1957, and he was promoted to director of public relations in 1963.
Whether in the classroom or in his living room Sam’s work as a teacher and an organizer never ceased. He maintained an active life that included starting a card club with Sarah and their closest friends that continued for over 50 years, cofounding “The Deacons” a poker club of close friends that met bi-weekly for over 60 years, holding the office of president for the Indiana County Lion’s Club on two separate occasions, taking a central role in organizing the Furgiuele Family Annual Reunion which was started in 1947 and continues to gather each July, and propagating heirloom seeds from his Italian roots in his beautiful garden. Into his 90s Sam was active in his church, did the New York Times crossword puzzle in pen (not pencil!) and played his country-folk style music on guitar.
Throughout his long life Sam continued to instill, as a professor/father/grandfather/friend, the value of productivity, engagement in one’s life, appreciation for the great outdoors, and deep love for reading and writing. Completing his autobiography at age 88, his closing words include, “And life, with all its wonders; its shades of darks and lights, its joys, its sorrows, its anticipations and surprises, its unfathomable mysteries, and its many blessings goes on! And always with the hope that there is still much life to be lived.” Sam was right, for he still had much life to be lived following this completion of his 325 pages. He was an example to everyone he met to live each day, give each day and find meaning in the little thing
Inherently warm, social and engaging, Sam found peace of mind and quiet in the cold rivers that captured his love through the art of fly-fishing. He found solace on the river—where the current moved through and around his legs as he waded miles in cold water. He loved observing the drift of the fly on the water, the mountains and hills that surrounded him as he enjoyed a quiet only found in nature.
Sam was preceded in death by his parents, Matilda and Gaetano Furgiuele, who immigrated from Amantea, Italy in 1917; his brothers Frank, Eugene, Jim, Johnny, Fred and Vince and his sister Antoinette Delfonso and many dear friends.
He is survived by his wife of 73 years, Sarah Stewart Furgiuele, his sister Phyllis Gaston, his daughter Diana Furgiuele Cutshall and her husband Jim of Cape May, New Jersey; his son Samuel Francis Furgiuele, Jr and his wife Peggy of Boone, North Carolina; 11 grandchildren: Ben and Jen Waldie, Rachel and Larry Akst, Katie and Chris Reid, Nicholas and Julia Furgiuele, Peter and Anna Furgiuele and Hannah Furgiuele; six great-grandchildren: Liz, Maddie and Lily Waldie, Caleb and Safi Reid and Francis Furgiuele.
Friends will be received Friday, November 3, 2017 from 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. at Bowser-Minich Funeral Home located at 500 Ben Franklin Road South, Indiana, PA 15701.
Funeral Mass will be celebrated Saturday, November 4, 2017 at 11 a.m. at St. Thomas More University Parish located at 1200 Oakland Avenue, Indiana, Pennsylvania, 15701. Interment will be made in Arlington National Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. Thomas More University Parish located at 1200 Oakland Avenue, Indiana, Pennsylvania, 15701.
