Obituary of Dorothy Furness

DOROTHY (DOT) L. FURNESS, 88 WAS A RESIDENT OF BASKING RIDGE AND BARNEGAT LIGHT, NJ. SHE WAS BORN AND RAISED IN ELIZABETH, NJ BEFORE MOVING TO CRANFORD WHERE SHE LIVED FOR ALMOST 40 YEARS. SHE LIVED IN MIDDLETOWN, NJ BEFORE MOVING TO FELLOWSHIP VILLAGE IN BASKING RIDGE, NJ IN 2008. DOROTHY WAS A GRADUATE OF BATTIN HIGH SCHOOL IN ELIZABETH, NJ WHERE SHE SERVED AS CLASS PRESIDENT HER JUNIOR AND SENIOR YEARS. SHE ALSO STUDIED AT NYU. SHE BEGAN HER RETAIL CAREER AT MONTGOMERY WARD IN NEW YORK CITY. IN 1967 SHE JOINED J. C. PENNY IN NEW YORK CITY WHERE SHE ENJOYED A SUCCESSFUL, REWARDING CAREER. SHE WAS A BUYER AND IN 1974 WAS PROMOTED TO THE FIRST WOMAN MERCHANDISE MANAGER IN THE HISTORY OF J.C. PENNY. SHE WAS A MEMBER OF THE WOMAN'S FINANCIAL GROUP OF WALL STREET AND IN 1976 WAS RECONIZED BY THE NEW YORK CITY Y.W.C.A. IN A SALUTE OF WOMEN IN BUSINESS. SHE RETIRED IN 1988. DOROTHY WAS A MEMBER OF THE JUNIOR WOMAN'S CLUBS OF NEW JERSEY. SHE JOINED THE ELIZABETH, NJ CLUB IN 1951, BECAME THEIR PRESIDENT IN 1954 AND SUBSEQUENTLY BECAME THE STATE CONFERENCE CHAIRMAN, STATE PRESIDENT AND A MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS. AFTER RETIREMENT SHE DID EXTENSIVE VOLUNTEER WORK FOR A SUMMER CAMP FOR CHILDREN WITH CANCER AND WORKED WITH THE FOUNDERS TO FORM THE CENTER FOR HOPE HOSPICE IN UNION COUNTY, NJ. SHE SERVED ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND WAS A HOSPICE VOLUNTEER FOR MANY YEARS. SHE ALSO ENTERTAINED AT VARIOUS NURSING HOMES AS "OATMEAL THE CLOWN". DOROTHY ORGANIZED AND RAN MANY WONDERFUL REUNIONS FOR HER BATTIN HIGH SCHOOL CLASSMATES. DOROTHY TOUCHED MANY LIVES WITH HER SMILE, QUICK WIT AND SENSE OF HUMOR. SHE WAS A GENEROUS AND CARING PERSON. SHE LOVED LIFE, LOVED PEOPLE AND LOVED TO LAUGH. SHE WAS AN AVID READER AND TENNIS PLAYER. SHE ENJOYED PHOTOGRAPHY, WORD GAMES, PLAYING CARDS, PUZZLES AND SPENDING TIME AT HER HOME IN BARNEGAT LIGHT ON LONG BEACH ISLAND. HER PHRASE AND LICENSE PLATE "HUG TODAY" IS THE WAY SHE LIVED HER LIFE. MANY YEARS AGO DOT DONATED A BENCH, WHICH IS ON THE BEACH IN BARNEGAT LIGHT, WITH THE INSCRIPTION "HUG TODAY" …..A LIFE LESSON FOR EVERYONE. SHE WILL BE GREATLY MISSED BY HER DEAR FRIEND EVELYN BOREA, MANY COUSINS AND A LARGE CIRCLE OF FRIENDS. A MEMORIAL SERVICE WILL BE HELD MARCH 27TH AT 11AM AT FELLOWSHIP SENIOR LIVING, BASKING RIDGE, NJ. INTERMENT WILL BE PRIVATE. DONATIONS IN DOROTHY'S MEMORY CAN BE MADE TO THE CENTER FOR HOPE HOSPICE AND PALLIAITIVE CARE, 1900 RARITAN RD. SCOTCH PLAINS, NJ 07076 (www.cfhh.org) OR THE CRANFORD LIBRARY, 224 WALNUT AVE, CRANFORD, NJ 07016 (library@cranford.org).