Bill Furst

William Charles “Bill” Furst

William Charles “Bill” Furst, 89, passed away on Wednesday, December 4, 2013 at St. Lucie Hospice House in Fort Pierce, Florida.
Bill was born in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania on August 20, 1924. He was the son of Walter A. and Esther Ida Fowler Furst. He attended Penn State University in State College, Pennsylvania, leaving school in 1942 to fly as an aerial engineer for the U.S. Army Air Forces during WWII, where he earned the rank of Master Sergeant. In 1946, Bill returned to college and graduated from Kent State with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing. He later went on to complete the Harvard University Graduate School of Business Administration Advanced Management Program.

Bill had a successful career in the petroleum business. He started his career with Atlantic Refining Company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and then joined Shell Oil in 1952 in Jacksonville, Florida. This position led to a succession of Shell Oil marketing positions in major cities across the United States. After several high level leadership positions, he concluded his career with Shell Oil by serving as Marketing Manager, managing the largest of the three United States regions and 11 district offices.

Upon leaving Shell Oil, Bill served as Vice President of Commercial Marketing for Transworld USA, and then as CEO and President of Atlantic Pipeline Corporation in Reading, Pennsylvania. Bill retired in 1986 and relocated to Fort Pierce, Florida, where he has lived since with the love of his life, Joan.

Bill poured himself into his life on the Treasure Coast, and quickly became involved in the community. He was a devoted member of First United Methodist Church of Fort Pierce, serving for a time as Chairman of Administrative Board, and later a member of First United Methodist Church in Vero Beach. He was President of the Fort Pierce Rotary Club, a Paul Harris Rotary Fellow, and received Rotary Presidential Citation honors for his leadership during the construction of Kids Crossing Creative Playground. He served as Fire Commissioner of the St. Lucie County Fire District, President of the Holiday Pines Property Owners’ Association, and two terms as Commodore of the Pelican Yacht Club, where he was a member for 23 years. He was also proud of his involvement with the St. Lucie County Main Street Growth and Development Initiative, and with the Golden Pioneer Club at Indian River State College.

Bill was an honorary member of the Penn State Alumni Association and an alumnus of Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity. He was a Scottish Rite Mason and Shriner.

Bill was loyal to his membership in the Methodist church, holding leadership roles in the church while living in Hudson, Ohio, Houston, Texas, and Fort Pierce. He was an avid fisherman, boater, and swimmer, and a faithful Penn State fan. Nothing was more important to Bill than spending time with his family.

Bill is survived by his childhood friend and wife of 66 years, Joan Hallam Furst, son William C. “Bill” Furst, Jr. (Darla) and daughter, Carol Furst Matulonis (Gordon) and four grandchildren - Jessica Furst Johnson (Todd), Emily Furst Savoca (Chris), Austin Matulonis Hensel, and Sara Elinor Matulonis. Bill was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Walter A. Furst, Jr. of Rochester, NY.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Florida United Methodist Children’s Home, located at 51 Children’s Way, Enterprise, Florida 32725 or Treasure Coast Hospice, 5000 Dunn Road, Fort Pierce, Florida 34981.

Services: Visitation will be held from 1-2 PM with a service to follow at 2:00 PM on Sunday, December 8th at Haisley Funeral Home on Okeechobee Road in Fort Pierce.