Roger Emory Furnish Jr., 93, passed peacefully in his sleep into the arms of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on the morning of Wednesday, June 24, 2026, after days of being surrounded and supported by his loving family.
Roger was known for his upbeat, fun personality, his ability to bring out the best in others, and his love for black coffee. He was genuine, would tell it like it is, and never met a stranger. He was a man of strong faith.
He was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, on February 5, 1933, to Roger E. Furnish Sr. and Sadie Marie Chandler Furnish. His constant sidekick and best buddy, Paul, was born 21 short months later. Their father called them “his twins,” as they were close in age and looked similar with their bright blue
eyes, towhead hair, and big smiles. When Roger was three years old, the family moved to Kokomo, Indiana. The boys seemed to enjoy spending their days worrying their mother with their frequent shenanigans, such as jumping from the barn roof into the bullpen!
Roger was very involved in the church youth group and Boy Scouts. Following graduation from Kokomo High School in 1951, he enlisted in the Air Force. After training at bases in New York, Texas, and California, he was sent to Bitburg, Germany Air Force Base. He used his heavy equipment operator skills and special demolitions certification during Bitburg’s post-WWII reconstruction years. He was trained as a special structural steel high rigger, working on swaying towers 100 feet tall, and was awarded Outstanding Airman in 1954. While overseas, he enjoyed touring Europe. He helped found Boy Scout Troop 169, volunteering as an Assistant Scout Master for the boys who lived on the airbase.
In 1955, after three years in Germany, he was honorably discharged and headed home to attend Franklin College, where he played football and was president of the concert choir, a member of the Order of the DeMolay, and a brother in the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. In the fall of 1956, a lovely young co-ed named Billie Joan Doades arrived on campus. She invited him to a Sadie Hawkins dance, and he was smitten. Three years later, they married during the semester break and became loving lifelong partners. After their beautiful wedding, they had a two-day honeymoon in Evansville and then rushed back to campus as they both had class on Wednesday!
Following graduation from Franklin in 1959 with a degree in psychology, Roger’s first job was district scout executive for Boy Scouts of America, where he focused on training. After three years, he accepted a sales position with Standard Oil. Desiring to be self-employed, he purchased a Dairy Queen franchise in 1968 and opened, as we’ve been told, the first fast food restaurant in Bedford, Indiana, which made the southern Indiana town very happy.
In 1976, he sold the Dairy Queen and accepted a position with General Foods, remaining in management in the food processing industry throughout the rest of his career.
Roger retired in 1995 to pursue his many hobbies, including woodworking, fishing, maintaining his well-organized garage, gardening, landscaping, and volunteering. He enjoyed serving at the Life Pantry, Lawrence County Museum, and at First Baptist Church in Bedford, where he and Billie were members for more than 40 years.
When asked about his greatest accomplishment, he proudly responded, “My family!” He enjoyed trips and gatherings with his ever-growing family. He is survived by Billie, his loving wife of over 67 years; daughters Carla (Tim) Davis of Zionsville, IN, Laura (Chris) Waldo of Marshfield, WI, and Lisa (Jason) Woodward of Bedford, IN; grandchildren Abi (Dave), Hannah, Luke, Seth, Rachel, Naomi, Alicia (Zachary), Andrew (Marissa), Riley (Weston), and Ethan; great-grandchildren Sadie, Clara, Leo, Magdalen, Isaiah, Emelia, Emerson, and one on the way.
Roger and Billie moved to Hoosier Village Retirement Community in 2013, where he enjoyed serving on committees, participating in men’s group activities, and attending chapel services.
The family sends a special thank you to the Hickory Hall staff and to the AseraCare Hospice team for their care, extra love, and support during his last months and days.
