Carol Mason Furrer

Carol Mason Furrer

Carol Mason Furrer, 88, was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on October 26, 1936, to Lee and Violet Mason (nee, Troutman). Carol passed away on October 14, 2025, at Overlake Hospital in Bellevue, Washington, after a short hospitalization.

The night before she was hospitalized, Carol stayed up late to watch the Seattle Mariners play 15 innings to claim a playoff berth. Carol grew up listening to the Pittsburgh Pirates play on the radio with her beloved Grandpa “Gabby” Troutman, who taught her how to keep score. Carol’s love of baseball inspires sharing reflections on her life using a 9-inning baseball game.

In the first inning, Carol, named Carol Ann Mason, grew up in Pittsburgh where her dad worked his way up from file clerk to bank officer and her mother owned and ran a coin and stamp shop. She had one sibling, her older sister Mary Lee, who predeceased her. Carol was a happy kid and loved to play outside.

In the second inning (1946-56), Carol met and dated her lifelong love and partner William Furrer, Jr., when she was 16. She graduated from Allegheny College and then taught elementary school in Pittsburgh.

In the 3^rd and 4^th innings Mom was an active player!  After she and William (Bill) married in 1958 she continued to teach until their children were born: Cynthia, Elizabeth, Patricia, and William (Will). At the same time, she cheered Bill on through medical school, internship and 4-year orthopedic residency. In 1970, Carol and Bill packed up the house and family and drove across the country to Pullman, Washington, where Bill started his orthopedic practice.

In the 5^th inning, Carol stayed on the field, raising four kids, serving as Deacon and Elder at Pullman Presbyterian Church and publishing its newsletter Chimes, leading several women’s groups and organizations, travelling with Bill to Washington State University ball games across the country, helping Bill’s sister Geri (Furrer Donkin) with her House of Gifting business, working as a bank teller, welcoming WSU graduate students from overseas into the family home and family, serving on the alumni board of her sorority Alpha Gamma Delta and mentoring its young women members, keeping a large beautiful garden, and creating a comfortable, welcoming and classy home. Carol had a way of caring for others, including the grocery clerk, the bank teller, and the gas station attendant–taking time out to ask about their families, or recent trip or illness, even when she was in a hurry and there was a long line. She and Bill developed deep friendships with their neighbors on Viento Drive.

By the start of the 6^th inning, 1987-1996, Carol and Bill had moved from Pullman to Bellevue. Carol missed her treasured neighbors on Viento Drive and her friends across the greater Pullman community but greeted her neighbors in Bridle Trails and made new friends. She served as Deacon at Bellevue Presbyterian Church, gleaned and served food at HopeLink, and returned to teaching, tutoring children at home and at Bell Pres.

 In the 7^th inning (1996-2006) Carol hit 8 home runs!! Her grandkids: Alex (Hatzikos), Ava (Yurczyk), Carol (Newton), Caroline (Furrer now Asplundh), Charlie (Furrer), Corby (Furrer), George (Newton) and Sophia (Hatzikos). She and Bill flew to their birth cities to hold them. As they grew up, she connected with each one, sending travel postcards, funny Halloween cards, and joyous Easter cards and mailing birthday surprises carefully selected to match that child’s favorite colors and activities. When Grandma Carol visited you could find her in a quiet corner with one of the kids and hear her: “How’s your piano coming?” or “Do you like your teacher this year?” or “Are you enjoying swimming this summer?” or “How about a game of Chinese Checkers?” or “Tell me what you’re reading right now.” Grandma Carol was always curious; always interested.

In the 8^th inning, Carol and Bill moved to Emerald Heights Retirement Community in Redmond, Washington. Carol missed her neighbors in Bridle Trails but made new friends. She curated the Art Wall, installed residents’ art and interesting collections, joined a book group, and enjoyed lunch or dinner, or even just a cup of coffee, with new friends.

In the 9^th inning, beginning in 2019, Carol faced some health challenges, as did Bill. COVID made visits harder and Carol lost more dear friends who passed, and she missed them a lot. But she was always available for a morning phone call when she was awake and up with a nice hot cup of coffee and a book. Carol always loved to read and always had a book going.

On October 14—before the end of the 9^th inning–Carol passed, leaving us before the end of the game. When we (her children, grandchildren and friends) ask why, we can hear her urge us on. We hear her tell us the game is not over and now we are on the field! We imagine her cheering us on to do what brings us joy, whether that’s running a marathon, singing a tune, baking a pie, painting a fence or a picture, trying a Pilates class, taking a walk, rowing a shell, or sailing a boat.

We hear Carol remind us that each of us is unique, gifted and loved. To listen for our God and hear our callings. And to follow them: care for a patient in the ICU, make a skillful legal argument, phone a friend, help a client understand an investment, teach a child to read, coach a team, fix a computer, or send a note to someone we care about.

We hear her gently warning us that we’ll have strike outs, but that we’ll hit singles, doubles and even some homers. We know she’d explain that it’s not our batting average that counts, but how we play the game. She’d remind us to care for each other, listen to each other, forgive each other, and love one another. We are sure Carol would tell us all these things because that’s how she approached each day. This is how Carol lived.

Carol is survived by her husband of 67 years, Bill, their four children and their families: Cynthia (Mark) Newton of Portland, Oregon; Elizabeth (Scott) Yurczyk of Tucson, AZ, Patricia (George) Hatzikos of Portland, OR, and Will Furrer of Austin, TX, and 8 grandchildren. The family held a memorial service on November 9, 2025, at Emerald Heights and this piece was inspired by remarks shared at that service. If you would like to honor Carol’s life with a donation we suggest Hopelink [https://www.hopelink.org/], your local food bank, or your local school because she was passionate about ensuring that everyone has enough food to eat and the chance to learn.