Mary Dickinson Furth

Mary Dickinson Furth born on August 16, 1928 on Staten Island, NY, passed away on October 7, 2025.

A graduate of Curtis High School on Staten Island in 1946, and Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY 1950, she completed a Dietetic Internship at the New York Hospital of Cornell Medical School. It was there that she met her future husband, Dr. Eugene D. Furth. They were married in 1952. After living in Tacoma, Washington, where her husband was stationed with the U.S. Army, and later Delmar, NY, they moved to Greenville in 1976, where Dr. Furth was professor and Chair of Internal Medicine at Brody School of Medicine.

Previously in 1966, they did a sabbatical in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, where Gene taught students at the medical school. Mary loved Brazil and embraced everything about it; the language, the food and the culture. We all loved her Brazilian cooking.

In her lifetime, Mary gave much of herself and her time to various organizations, including the Children's Science Museum in Greenville, and The Blind Center in Washington, NC, where she taught weaving to the vision impaired. She was an incredible friend, welcoming all the spouses and employees who moved to Greenville when the East Carolina School of Medicine opened. She was a great mother, grandmother, sister, and simply kind and wonderful to anyone who met her.

After Dr. Furth's retirement in 1996, the couple moved to Washington, NC, and spent summer months in Surry, Maine. After his death, when Mary developed vision problems, she moved to Cypress Glen in 2005, where she worked many hours as a volunteer in the Gifts and Sundries Shop.

Mary was preceded in death by her husband, Eugene D. Furth, sister Betsy McDaniel and brother Walter Dickinson. She is survived by her son David L. Furth (Maria) and Anne Snelgrove (Wilbert). She is also survived by her grandchildren David J. Furth, Steven D. Furth(Ashley), Charles (Jake) Wakefield, Emily Wakefield and three great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be announced at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, you may send a donation to The Blind Center, 221 N. Harvey Street, Washington, NC 27889. Phone number is 252-946-6208. Theblindcenter.org.