Furman Smith

David "Furman" Smith, 83, passed away peacefully in his sleep on August 14,2024. Furman was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on May 25,1941 to Samuel and Madge Smith. In 1949, his family moved to Indiana, PA where his father became the coach and athletic director at Indiana University of Pennsylvania where his coaching skills led him into being inducted into 5 Hall of Fames. He was very proud of his father's accomplishments. Furman was a very active child and also excelled in several sports such as baseball, basketball, football and track. His basketball skills earned him a scholarship to Carnegie Tech where he played his freshman year. Football was his true love so during his freshman year, he worked hard and earned a spot as a walk on to their football team where he played the next 4 years. He also was the first engineering student to successfully play football while earning a chemical engineering degree. In addition to sports, he was a fraternal member of Delta Upsilon and loved to tell stories of his college years.
Furman moved to Indianapolis, Indiana in 1968 to start his career at Eli Lilly and meet his future wife, Sherry Reuss. During his 37-year tenure with the company, Furman was head of several different departments at the Tippecanoe County plant, designed wastewater treatments around the world, in addition to being fundamental in Eli Lilly funding the development of Celery Bog in West Lafayette. One of his proudest moments was earning Engineer of the year.
In 1973, Furman moved his family to West Lafayette, IN where he became an active member in numerous organizations including Sierra Club, Republican Party and the Elks to name a few. He also served several years as a consultant and board member in Wabash Township. For 22 years, Mr. Smith consulted with Purdue University where he led several environmental projects with the EPICS program in the local community. In his free time, Furman could be found "fiddling around" in his garden or at the Elks Country Club (WLCC) playing cards or rounds of golf on the golf course. Furman was a family man and an intricate part of his children and grandchildren's lives. He coached several soccer teams and spent countless hours with his grandchildren. There were several nights spent around the kitchen table telling stories of his younger years where he worked on his grandparent's farm, played sports or got into trouble around his hometown. You would also hear numerous stories about his adventures during his business trips that took him all around the world. Furman was truly a remarkable man, a blessing to the Tippecanoe County community and will be missed by many.
Surviving is his sister Susan (John) Gainer of Charlottesville, VA along with his four children Brandt (Laurie) Smith of Houston, TX and Christina Wickes, Kimberly (Kevin) Doerflein and Carrie Smith all of Lafayette, IN and his 12 grandchildren Erik Smith, Emily Perret, Riley, Reagan and Reece Wickes, Zachary, Bradley, Madeline and Mathew Doerflein and Kelsie, Kennedy and Presleigh Smith along with his nephews Jamie and David Gainer and David Reuss. Preceding him in death was his wife Sherry and his parents Samuel and Madge Smith.
Visitation will be held from 12pm – 1pm Tuesday, August 20, 2024 at Hippensteel Funeral Home. Funeral service will begin at 1pm followed by interment at Greene County Memorial Park in Waynesburg, PA. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Wabash Township Fire Department. Share memories and condolences online at www.hippensteelfuneralservice.com