Donna Furniss

Ferndale, MD a�" Donna Jean Furniss left this earth peacefully Tuesday, June 5th, 2018 and was welcomed into the arms of our savior Jesus Christ. Donna is survived by her loving and faithful husband of 66 years, Jack Furniss. She leaves behind her daughters, Nancy McNeal and Diane Taylor, as well as her sons Jeffrey Furniss and Scott Furniss. She has ten grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by a grandchild Shane Taylor. She has a younger sister Phyllis Taylor, and brother Gary Gibson both of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Donna was the daughter of Gladys (Miller) Gibson and Frank Miller, and grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Donna was the oldest of the children by a dozen years. She helped look after her brother and sister while her father worked multiple jobs, and her mother recovered from back-to-back difficult pregnancies. She possessed a strong family support group of older aunts and cousins who she could lean on during tough times, and enjoyed life with them in happy times.
The Methodist church was a place where Donna came to know a deep faith in Christ. She would need this faith as her anchor when her father became ill, suffering from mental illness, ultimately leading to him being institutionalized. Because of that, Donna was called to take on increasingly parental roles at a very young age.
She had strong friendships from school and church, where they would enjoy going to see the young crooners like "Frank" and "Bing". Fun times were spent at summer lakes, Kennywood Park and Jumonville Methodist Camp. Around that time, one of her dear friends asked her to go on a double-blind date. Lois and Bill Furniss helped her meet Bill's brother Jack, they fell in love. Jack was working at Westinghouse in Pittsburgh and was called into selective service, whereupon he chose the Air Force. They married in Pittsburgh on May 3, 1952, Jack would eventually be stationed in Wichita, Kansas for close to three years, where Donna would give birth to Nancy. When Jack's service time was completed, he was able to rejoin Westinghouse and was transferred to Baltimore's new plant in Linthicum, Maryland. After a few years of renting apartments in the area, they purchased a brand new home on Shipley Road in Linthicum. Donna stayed home and raised their kids, actively involved and supporting their endeavors. In the late 1970's through the 1980's she worked at the front desk of St. Agnes Hospital, providing directions and giving patient information. Her outgoing personality was well-suited for this role, and she thrived.
Donna and Jack both enjoyed singing in church choirs. They were faithful attenders of St. John's Lutheran Church in Linthicum, and then later sang with Trinity Assembly of God in Lutherville for many years. Donna faithfully prayed for a deeper commitment to Christ in her family. Eventually she saw an opportunity to have her family return to her childhood church camp outside of Uniontown called Jumonville. This proved to be a pivotal life-changing event for the entire family. It was there where Jack was confronted with the reality of "being born again", as Christ described to Nicodemus. This involved transforming the intellectual knowledge of faith in God to a commitment of life changing faith a�" giving one's life submitting fully to Christ. This is what Donna and Jack's legacy would be for the second half of their lives together.
Throughout these years, Donna would mentor young women in Bible studies and prayer. They hosted couples Bible studies in their homes for decades. Eventually, they felt God calling them to connect and serve more locally to a new church serving many in need in Brooklyn, Maryland called Church on the Rock. They would often invite people to their house to stay, leaving their adult children sometimes concerned for their safety. Donna become a mother figure and spiritual mentor to countless women both there and in wider circles. Many lives have been impacted and changed for eternity because of Donna's caring, commitment, and leadership.
Friends and family will be received on Thursday, June 14th, from 3-5 PM at Singleton Funeral & Cremation Services on Crain Highway in Glen Burnie. A celebration of life service will immediately follow at 5 PM in the funeral home chapel. In lieu of flowers, please send donations in honor of Donna Furniss to: Metro Maryland Youth For Christ 8900 Belair Rd Baltimore MD 21236 or go online https://www.mmyfc.org/donate/

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