Joyce Furman's Life was a Combination of Grace and Grit

Excerpt from an article by Helen Jung in The Oregonian, October 28, 2009.

Joyce Furman's idea sounded a bit ambitious.

First, we import 100 fiberglass cows from Poland, she told her fellow board members for the New Avenues for Youth nonprofit. We'll display them around Portland for a while, auction them off for artists to paint, place them around town again, and auction them off again. And all this will raise lots of money that will all go to help kids.

Maybe impossible is the better word.

"You can't imagine all the reasons why that would never work," said Mitchell Hornecker, a fellow board member.

But it did. The six-month "Kows for Kids" fundraiser in 2002 not only generated $2.5 million for children's causes but captivated Portlanders.

That was Furman's style, recalled friends and family, a mix of grace and grit to achieve a goal no one would have imagined. The longtime philanthropist who served as a board member for the Portland Parks Foundation, Oregon Community Foundation and several other civic and children's organizations, died Monday night. She was 67.

At the time of her death, she was serving as a board or committee member for eight organizations, including Marylhurst University, the Children's Institute and New Avenues for Youth, which she helped found.

Read the Full Article on OregonLive.com

Joyce’s generosity as a philanthropist was matched by her dedication as a volunteer to serve organizations which create opportunities for people who face significant barriers to success. Marylhurst University was blessed by Joyce’s leadership as a friend and a trustee. She will be greatly missed.