Richard George Furth

Richard G. Furth, age 89 died on December 27, 2017 in Concord. He was born in 1928, the son of George W. and Carolyn (Furth) Cohen. Raised in Los Angeles, California,

Dick graduated from the University of California-Berkeley. After college, he enlisted in the United States Air Force, where he served as a radar observer for the 339th fighter squadron in the Korean War. After returning from service, Dick moved to the east coast to attend Harvard Business School. While at HBS he met his wife, Eileen C. Furth. In 1966, Dick and Eileen moved to Concord, where they raised four daughters. For many years, Dick worked at Polaroid in Cambridge where he held several positions, including Director of Strategic Planning. In the mid-1980s, Dick and several business school associates created their own management - consulting firm, where he worked until his retirement.

Dick is survived by his wife of 53 years, Eileen Courtney Furth, and three children, Joanna K. Furth, of Minneapolis, MN, Rebecca C. Furth (Rajesh Kasturirangan) of Belmont, Mass., and Alexandra D. Furth (Joshua P. Rosenberg), of Boston, Mass, and five grandchildren. He was pre-deceased by his daughter, Leslie C. Furth, and his brother, Donald H. Furth.

Dick was a man of incredible intellect and uncommon humility. He had a thirst for knowledge and adventure; he relished his time in the service, which took him to far corners of the world, and regaled friends and family with myriad stories from his travels. The most mundane question could trigger an unexpected response, "once, when I was in a paper mill in Honduras . . . " He was deeply and always engaged in the world, and even after his opportunities for travel diminished, he served as a personalized clipping service for his family and friends, sharing and sending articles he came across. Consistent with his curiosity about the world, Dick was a voracious reader and he shared his love of literature with his daughters. He had a terrifically dry sense of humor and a clever wit. Throughout his life, Dick was known as a man of dignity and integrity. He made lasting friendships from all aspects of his life –from Harvard Business School to his community at Gold's Gym.

A memorial of Dick's life will be held on:
Tuesday, January 2, 2017 at 11:00 am
Kerem Shalom
659 Elm Street
Concord, MA

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in honor of Dick's life to:
Alzheimer's Association
309 Waverly Oaks Road
Waltham, MA 02452
alz.org