Gary William (Bill) Furnish passed away at the age of 30 on December 16, 2017 after a five and a half year battle with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). He fought a valiant battle and remained positive and cheerful to the end, lifting the spirits of those close to him.
Brilliant and driven, Gary (Bill) excelledin his pursuit of groundbreaking advanced mathematics and software design. His love of mathematics, computer programing, reading, learning, researching and all things scientific made him an inspiration to all who met him. He was the "smart kid" who kept everyone on their toes. He will be remembered for his "find an answer" attitude. Nothing was too complicated for him to grasp. He listened to scientific lectures at 2 ‚ 5 times speed. His doctors were constantly amazed by his knowledge of current and trial protocols. His peers, colleagues, professors, and all who came in contact with him had a deep admiration and love for his amazing brain and happy go lucky attitude. When confronted with his diagnosis,he applied his notorious \"find an answer\" attitude into researching novel treatments. Gary (Bill) took an active part in researching cutting edge therapies to treat his aggressive ALL. He powered through the enormous challenges of ALL treatment and rarely complained. All who knew Gary (Bill) would expect no less.Although he lost his battle, he wassuccessful in significantly helping to advance ALL treatment, which will undoubtedly save lives.
Gary (Bill) also had a passion forBallroom Dancing and West Coast Swing, which he approached with the same rigor and drive he applied to his other interests. Come the weekend it was off to dance. In truth it would not have surprised his family to see him stop everything else and start teaching and competitively dancing. He also enjoyed weight lifting and hiking, and always offered advice and encouragement to others, making a positive impact on everyone he met.
His positive energy, his intense drive to learn and excel in his work and play, will forever inspire all who crossed Gary\s (Bill\s) path.
Gary (Bill) was bornJuly 15, 1987. His father, Gary Lee Furnish, precedes him in death. Survived by his mother Patricia Furnish, aunt Joan Berg, various cousins and his dog Chantell. He will be deeply missed.
