Richard Albert Furst

Richard was the beloved husband of Elizabeth Furst (nee Irving) for 49 years; devoted father of Michelle Feiss and her husband Bill and his son Christopher Furst. He is survived by his brother, Joseph Furst and his sister Mary Elise Lanahan. He is preceded in death by his older brother Fred Furst.

Richard was born on February 26, 1945, in Baltimore, Maryland to Fred and Mary Furst. He graduated from Towson Catholic High School in 1963 and from the University of Baltimore in 1972. He served in the Army for two years and was stationed at SHAPE (Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe) in Belgium.

Richard worked in the insurance industry for 43 years and his area of focus was in Loss Control and Risk Management. He worked for Maryland Casualty out of college, followed by several years at Cigna and spent 24 years at LGIT (Local Government Insurance Trust). As a devoted career man, he often used his work to build life-long friendships. Even after retirement, he continued to participate in boards and committees sharing his expertise. In addition to working in the insurance industry, he started his career at age 14 in the family printing business; the J.H. Furst Company which originated in 1904 and is still in business today.

He loved spending time in Ocean City, Maryland where he enjoyed sitting on the beach and diving under the waves. Richard was a life-long Baltimore Orioles fan and seldom missed listening to a game. An original Baltimore Colts fan turned Ravens fan. He always supported his beloved and sometimes beleaguered home teams. From the Beach Boys to the Eagles and Billy Joel to contemporary country music, he always had a love for music and you could find him humming, whistling or singing a song everywhere he went.

Richard was often and well known for his humor whether it was clever puns or “dad jokes”, he always made a quick impression or instilled a memory in every conversation he took part in. Even in his last days the nurses, doctors, and volunteers remarked that he made them laugh and that they loved listening to his stories. He is beloved and will be missed greatly by his family and friends.

A funeral mass will be celebrated at Immaculate Conception Church, 200 Ware Ave, Towson, MD 21204 at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, February 7, 2020. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Senator Bob Hooper Hospice House and The Prostate Cancer Foundation would be greatly appreciated.

QUOTES:

"Dick was the best mentor anyone could hope for coming into Risk Management. Even after his retirement and during his illness he continued to offer advice, both professional and personal and was just great to talk to. To say he left an impression would be an understatement." – Eddie Carman, Worcester County

"Dad loved people from all walks of life and genuinely loved learning about their stories. He was in love with life, adored his family and brought humor to every part of our lives. We will miss him every day." - Michelle Feiss (nee Furst)

"Dick was the consummate professional and a gracious, kind man. I told him he was the “Gino Marchetti” of LGIT and could never be replaced." John Breads, LGIT