Tributes to John
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Tributes to John Furmage
David and John (dad) at The Forum c. 2008
Tribute from David Furmage: I want to start my tribute to dad 23 years ago at John and Irene’s 40th wedding anniversary. Picture the scene if you will. In fact you don’t have to imagine it, I have included photos on the back of your order of service! It’s the 30th May 1993. We are at the Green Farm Restaurant in Thorpe Market just 5 miles from here. Mum, Dad and Colin, my brother sit next to me…
And this is what I say, armed with road signs for visuals, starting with this actual one!
It was over 40 years ago that two people met in a remote corner of North Norfolk. This meeting was to change the course of history forever! …well at least Colin’s and mine.
It was at North Walsham primary school that mum and dad’s paths crossed … or so they tell us! Just before Christmas 1950.
Dad was the new teacher in town … and mum, Miss Cole, was the school nurse. An expert at spotting nits! Even from an early age Dad was the adventurous type! It was about then that he applied for a job in Africa at a private school! … but pulled out when he realised he’d have to learn Latin … and go to Africa!
They got engaged on the 2nd of January 1953 and were courting during the worst floods in living memory… 8ft high in places..! It was lucky their car could float!
They got married on the 23rd May 1953. No turning back now! It was a hot and glorious day at Meeting Hill Baptist Church.
Of course dad wasn’t a dad then, and mum wasn’t a mum then, but a small bundle of trouble came along to change all that, Colin .. Followed soon after by more trouble … me!
In the autumn of 1962 the whole family set off on a year long trip to Dartmoor Prison .. oh no .. err .. Dartington Music College.
We went down narrow winding country lanes …which turned into tuning forks if you stand on your head!
Here dad trained to specialise as a music teacher … and making as much noise as possible.
The rest of us just played in very deep snow drifts!
Well … together they have had fun navigating through the road system of life. Sharing the ups and downs … through city, town and country. Never a cross word reading the road map. (not true!) Always knowing where they were .. at least when they got there!
Well, so much has happened over the years … time passed, careers developed, children grew up, cars conked out,
I’d like to say on behalf of everyone here that we wish you both many more enjoyable years driving off into the future together! … God bless you both.
So, to today! In this place in Mundesley. They did have many more happy years.
Dad loved music above all. Teaching inspired him. Being organist was a great joy, especially over recent years at Knapton Methodist Church.
He loved chatting to people everywhere he could, a habit I have picked up to the annoyance of my own boys I think! He loved using 100 words where 10 would have done just fine!
He enjoyed seeing family. He enjoyed trips abroad with us to France and Spain.
I gave him a surprise trip to New York and made him go up the Empire State building … he couldn’t believe he made it to the 86th floor!
Back to Norfolk …. we enjoyed many lunchtime pub meals and coffee time chats over the years. The Waffle House in Norwich was a favourite spot too.
His last year was spent in Solihull, at a Christian care home which as ahead of the curve, as it started supported elderly people in 1679.
This was a beautiful setting. He enjoyed the grounds, the many shades of green and counting ducks on the pond, as many as 15!
It was tough at the end when Alzheimer’s robbed him of speech, but I thank God for my dad John, for his life and the life he gave me. I will always miss you.
A picture done by Luke at age 5, something always treasured by grandad-by-the-sea..
Luke and James Furmage with grandad-by-the-sea, August 2013 in North Walsham
Tribute from Luke Furmage: John was an exceptional Grandad. I knew him as Grandad-by-the-Sea. I wished I went down to see him in Norfolk more often, but when I did we had some great weekends.
If I had to pick one thing I’ll remember about Grandad it was the fact that I painted him a picture when I was about five years old and he always treasured it. He kept it by his piano and close to him in the care home too. It made me smile each time that something so simple could mean so much.
I love you Grandad-by-the-Sea. You will be forever missed.
Richard Baker teaching at Sheringham High School in 1977 with John
Tribute from Richard Baker: I was saddened to learn that dear John has died, but we should rejoice that he has lived, and that he is no longer suffering.
I guess that I have known John for about fifty years. I, as a teenage schoolboy wending his way home from grammar school, and John as a young(ish!) primary school teacher who lived close by us. He taught my younger sister at Junior School. His involvement at Cromer Parish Church where for many years he helped in so many ways meant out paths continue to cross. Little did I know in the 1970s our paths would cross again when I was training as a teacher and was sent for my final teaching practice to work alongside John, who was now teaching music in a secondary school? That developed when I was appointed to join him and we worked together for four years. He was always encouraging, but had a realistic view of educational developments of the decade. Few will remember the Schools’ Council Music Project. We were sent several times to courses at Homerton College in Cambridge where the wonders of this project were expounded. I can remember John commenting that he really couldn’t take on any more “new initiatives”; I know now what he meant. (Whatever did happen to Schools’ Council Music Project? Another expensive and short-lived project which vanished into the mists of time!) For a while we shared transport to school and played “spot the tune” on Radio 3 on the way; did he ever know I checked radio Times before I left home in the morning? I think he did call my bluff in the end.
Our paths separated in 1979, but we remained in close contact thereafter; he was always interested to know what I was doing and was a great encouragement, and always with mischievously smile and a dry wit. He was a caring person which revealed itself in the way he handled responsibilities pastorally; he was always standing up for the weaker individuals and those who had a disadvantaged start in life. He had a natural rapport with them. His Christian faith shone out in all that he said and did both with colleagues and pupils.
Whilst the last years have not been easy for John, nor those close to him, he has run the race and fought the good fight. The battle is over and victory is his. Now he as at rest, and reunited with his beloved wife Irene, who he missed so terribly and has now joined in eternal rest with their Lord.
May they both rest in peace and rise in glory.
Colin & Sarah Furmage with Neil Mackin at Christmas 1991 in Solihull, picture taken by John…
Tribute from Neil Mackin: In our own different ways, John and I both connected into the friends and family of the Birmingham Furmages, he as father and myself as the sister in law’s husband. We met like branch-line steam engines, usually far apart about our own business, but called together on high days and holidays. Over three decades of such infrequent meetings we grew very fond of one another.
I recall well his gentleness and diffidence, his curiosity and kindness, his wry sense of wit and enjoyment of genteel badinage; we bonded as outsiders to the Birmingham clan. He took a particularly generous interest in my life and family, even supporting my curious pastimes by sending me photos of the disused North Walsham and Dilham Canal. Like many who knew him, my life is impoverished by his passing, but enriched by having known him – till we meet again.
John with family for a ‘Murder Mystery’ on New Year’s Eve 2007
Tribute from Mary Turton: Way back in 1997 John and I had the dreaded shingles at the same time. We used to compare symptoms and sympathise with each other because the pain was awful. But if we expected sympathy from John’s lovely wife Irene we’d got another thing coming! She was a very practical nurse and told us we had to grin and bear it, or words to that effect!
Over the years we’ve had some memorable times with John. One New Year’s Eve was especially funny. Eight of us were doing a murder mystery, John was dressed up with a top hat but hadn’t quite got the idea, declaring he was the murderer at the very beginning!
Another memorable occasion was when we had been to John & Irene’s 40th Wedding Anniversary (the event that David referred to in his tribute). On the way back to Mundesley we saw a group of bird watchers in a field. Frank & I were keen birdwatchers so we stopped and saw an oriental Pratincole, a very rare bird to this country! It was very exciting and got reported in the local paper.
John, Jane and many others were involved for years in the Cromer & North Norfolk Festival of Music & Drama. This certificate won with John’s friend Michael Sanders
Tribute from Jane Green (formerly Norris): My friendship with John began in the late 80s/ early 90s when I heard of him as a music teacher through Bob Carmen who was teaching classical guitar to my children. I wanted to have piano lessons again, so I phoned him and was pleased that he was willing to take me on. At that time John was a peripatetic music teacher teaching pupils in schools but he also had a few individuals that he taught at home.
Over the next few years I took my Grade 4 & 5 practical exams and did the Grade 5 theory which is proof that my piano playing made some progress. We even composed a new hymn tune together when I composed the melody and John created the chords for the accompaniment!
In those days I taught in Cromer and later, West Runton and John was helpful in accompanying the school choir that I conducted for the Cromer Festival.
My music lessons on a Thursday evening usually became extended and interspersed by long chats about our respective teaching experiences and church involvement and I’m sure that Irene, who was quietly upstairs in their second lounge, must have wondered why the lesson took so long!
I came to realise what a compassionate, understanding and sensitive person John was. He was good at evaluating situations and found it difficult to tolerate unfairness but would always strive to find a resolution.
He took a genuine interest in the welfare of his pupils and students, in particular those who had faced challenges or difficulties of some sort and I know that several of them kept in touch long after they had left school and he was always so pleased to hear from them again.
My music lessons came to an end when I moved and no longer had a piano on which to practice, but it was always a delight to catch up with John when going to services at Knapton Methodist Church and continue the reminiscing.
Peter Gotts leads prayer at breakfast on Easter Sunday in 2010 at Knapton Methodist Church
Tribute from Peter Gotts: When I first heard John play at Knapton Methodist Church I knew we were in safe hands. A professional musician accompanying our little group!
Over the years our friendship grew. John loved listening to a good sermon and, like me, took delight in being ‘naughty’. We made each other laugh.
My memories of Knapton will always include John. I will miss them both very much.
Beeston Hall School
Tribute from Jennifer Fawens: We were so saddened to hear about your father’s passing. My memories of John go back more than 30 years to Beeston Hall School where both my sons learned the piano for a short time and were taught by your father. Then they both majored in the violin where John accompanied them.
After that we bumped into him over the years in and around North Walsham and exchanged family news. I have always thought of John as a most caring person as well as being a patient teacher with a good sense of humour – in other words, “a thoroughly nice guy”. I am certain that both you and your two sons will miss him enormously. He very often talked about the three of you.
May we send you and your family our deepest sympathies. We feel privileged to have known him and at least he is at peace now.
Alan Featherstone, one of John’s best and longest standing friends, july 1941
Alan Featherstone in May 1993 at John & Irene’s 40th wedding anniversary meal
Tribute from Alan Featherstone: I was very sorry to hear that my old school friend and later best man has died. My condolences to you and your family who I know are missing him greatly. It was lovely keeping in touch with him for the occasional pub lunch at the Adam & Eve with my late, much missed wife, Mary.
What a lovely photograph you have chosen for the card you sent – perfect of John!!
I valued John as an old (slightly younger than me) friend and loved the occasional valued, re-unions we had from time to time. All the very best, I will remember him.
John in his element, at the organ, Knapton Methodist Church, Easter Sunday 2010
Tribute from Godfrey Talford: John was a great help to me in many ways in the 1990’s. Very competently he accompanied the last performance of Stainer’s Crucifixion that I directed at North Walsham in 1996, which was dedicated to the memory of Ben Wyman, my predecessor as principle organist there, who had died in February that year.
He also helped me over a number of years by playing for occasional morning services at Happisburgh Parish Church during a period when I had to arrange their organists’ rota. Many years earlier he had known Richard Hines, the rector at the time as a lad in Diss, when the Furmage and Hines families were neighbours there. More recently Richard featured on TV in the Island Parish series, when it featured his ministry as the parish priest in the Falklands Islands. John used to hint to me privately that Richard might have been embarrassed if John had spilt the beans about some aspects of Richard’s mis-spent youth! Publicly he maintained a discreet silence.
As many will remember, John for a while managed very skilfully to combine the roles of organist and worship leader at Knapton, and on many occasions when I went to preach there I felt richly blessed to be assisted by John in leading some part of the worship. It was a joy and source of blessings to collaborate with him in planning and leading worship – he was thoughtful and diligent in his preparation and sometimes offered quite innovative suggestions.
John was forthcoming about the joys and sorrow of his own family life, and feel he will have shared with his family details of his activities as master of music and worship leader at Knapton and further afield. In fact John was one of those people for whom, if you had to phone him, you needed to make a very generous time allowance for the call!!
My he rest in peace and rise in glory.
Tribute from Rob Wyld: I am very sorry to hear about your father. It’s horrible when parents pass away. You always feel that you are really on your own now.
I’m relieved that he passed away peacefully in his sleep.
I remember your father requesting that I play the opening section of Bach’s Well Tempered Clavier on one of my visits to your Solihull residence. Fortunately it went OK and he seemed to enjoy it. But I was sure that I would probably make a cock of it!
We must meet up again soon. Very best wishes for the future…
Tribute from Charlie & Sue Bensley: It is the end of the era for Dad on earth but we are sure he is playing the music in Heaven for the Angels to sing to!
John making up a (lengthy!) off-the-cuff speech on the occasion of his 80th birthday in 2004
Tribute from Francis Sanders: I well remember John graciously doing a reading at my Father’s funeral in 2004. They had been great musical buddies over the years performing together at the Cromer Festival either piano duet or John on the piano and my Father singing.Their standard was high enough to get a 1st class certificate in the one I have kept.
I also remember at the party afterwards that John specifically asked me to keep closely in touch with Colin as he worried about him.I certainly did and we all valued his company when Colin came to visit us at our holiday retreat at Bacton each year.
Colin and I would also visit John at his home in North Walsham. It was very homely and somewhat untidy but John seemed to know where everything was which was the important thing!
On my last visit to his home when John’s health was deteriorating I was only able to make signals to him in his living room from the window as the locks were put on by a carer. It must have looked quiet surreal to a passing pedestrian!
I am very glad to hear that his last year was spent in such a caring home near his loving family.
Tribute from From Claire Uttley: John taught me piano when I was a teenager and I am now very grateful to him for the skills and knowledge that I learned from him.
I remember John as a very kind and gentle man with integrity and a fantastic sense of humour. He made me laugh when he went off on tangents with stories about composers, and his own musical adventures as a young man.
I think now how wonderful it is that John was able to spend his life doing work that he loved, and I imagine his enthusiasm touched many people’s lives.
Do you remember John? If you have any thoughts please do use the contact form (opens in a new tab) to send your words to David, John’s son for inclusion here. If you have photos or any other questions send david a message via the form and he will get back to you. Many Thanks…