John Furia, Jr., 1929-2009
Posted by Craig Mazin on 08 May 2009 at 06:20 pm | Tagged as: WGA Issues
I’m saddened to hear of the death of John Furia, Jr., one of the WGA’s giants, and a fine screen and television writer.
I served with John briefly on the negotiating committee in 2004, but more extensively on the Executive Search Committee in 2005. Like everyone else who spent time with John, I was impressed with his intelligence, diplomacy and gentility of spirit.
John was a long-time Guild politician who understood that governance didn’t have to be a combat sport. It didn’t matter if I agreed with him or disagreed with him on any particular point; John had a way of making everyone in the room feel like a welcome and integral part of the process. His was an enormously influential voice in our union, and he continued to share his considerable skills and wisdom with our union long after his official term as President had ended.
In that sense, John defined what it meant to be an eminence grise in our union and our business, and I have no doubt that he will be mourned equally by writers, directors and even the studios with whom he so frequently negotiated on our collective behalf.
Here is Patric Verrone’s lovely note to the WGAw membership. I think Patric does a great job of conveying why this is a real loss not only to Mr. Furia’s immediate family, but to his extended family of 7,500 writer members of the WGAw.
To My Fellow Members,It is with great sadness that I write to inform you of the passing of our Guild’s beloved former president, John Furia, Jr. His death was peaceful but unexpected and his loss is made all the more tragic by our inability to say good bye.
No single person served our union in as many capacities as John. He was a board member and president from 1973 to 1975, served on innumerable committees including several negotiating committees (chairing in 2004), and he was chair of the East/West National Council from 2005 to 2007. He was also a past president of the WGAW Foundation and still served as its Vice President for Programs.
The WGAW recognized John’s dedication with all three of our honorary awards including the Morgan Cox Award (for service to the Guild) in 1978, the Valentine Davies Award (for public service) in 1990, and the rarely bestowed Edmund H. North Award (for Guild leadership and professional achievement) in 1994.
John’s service to writers was not limited to his Guild work. He was a former governor of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, a founding trustee of the Humanitas Prize, and a consultant to the National Endowment for the Humanities. He was the founding chair of the Division of Writing at the University of Southern California’s School of Cinema-Television where he was a full professor of screen and television writing.
John’s professional career spanned nearly three decades as a writer-producer. His television credits include episodes of The Twilight Zone, Bonanza, The Waltons, and Hawaii 5-0; showrunning Kung-Fu, The Dirty Dozen, and the long running public service series Insight; and mini-series The Blue Knight, Sidney Sheldon’s Rage of Angels, and The Sun Also Rises. His screen credits included The Singing Nun and A Change of Habit.
Such a remarkable list of achievements and recognition does not do justice to the stature of a man whose character and dignity touched and influenced generations of writers from the founders of the Guild to its newest student-associates. John had the rare capacity to bridge political divides in our union as no one else did and he was truly loved and respected by everyone who knew him. For those of us who relied on John’s knowledge and his counsel, he was more than an éminence grise; he was pure eminence. In A Man for All Seasons, Robert Bolt wrote, “Death comes for us all. Even for kings he comes.” Today he came for a king.
On behalf of the members of the Writers Guild of America West, I extend deep and heartfelt condolences to John’s wife Mary and his seven children. May he rest in peace.
Patric M. Verrone President, WGAW
No one cared more about the dignity of writers, and no one fought harder for it. Many of the gains of the 1970s were due to John’s leadership, his quiet strength, and, again, his dignity. In a world where many wore their baseball caps backwards, John in his crisp shirt and immaculately groomed white hair walked among us like a Renaissance prince. We won’t see his like again. We are fortunate to have had him with us.
John was my predecessor as Chair of the Writing Division at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. His patience and generosity as he taught me how the job is done were unstinting. As chair, I feared nothing more than his disapprobation, savored nothing more than his praise. I wanted only to do as good a job as John did. Of course that was impossible–in this, as in so many other things, John set the bar high. But he gave us all, as writers and as members of the writing community, something to aspire to.
Like the others before me, I am truly and deeply saddened by the death of John Furia. I had the great pleasure to be part of John’s masters thesis scriptwriting class at USC. John’s leadership and guidance were immeasurable to the success of the scripts developed under his tutelage. He led with a definition of purpose, great intelligence and a youthful enthusiasm that permeated through the class. He fostered creativity and made everyone want to produce the best work possible, so as not to disappoint John’s high expectations, and he took great pleasure in his students’ success. We also couldn’t forget John’s annual tradition of inviting his thesis students to his lovely home where he and his wife, Mary, graciously shared an evening with us. It is a memory I know we all will cherish. John continued to write every day, showing a discipline that was inspiring. He was, in all ways, a true gentleman, and who will be greatly missed.
John hired me to teach screenwriting at USC by calling me on a Friday to take a class that was to start on Monday night. His door was always open as I turned up to freak out about this and that. I remember one student who simply couldn’t get it down on paper, but could make elaborate charts with circles and colored arrows. He smiled and said, “Does he have a clothesline?” This is not a term one finds in writing books but it’s a concept I’ve used ever since – because it releases you to write which is what that student did. Thank you, John.
I always thought how handsome he was, how calm, how crisp and kind and such a gentle man. And my favorite times with John was running into him as the Taper, where we shared our secret vice of theater, and feeling oh so superior.
Class. That’s what I think of when I remember John. I’ll miss him.
I have been lucky enough to have known John for the past 15+ years as his daughter in law. He always made me feel welcome and a part of the family from the very beginning. He will always have a place in my heart and he is truly missed.
My sympathies, Lisa.
I am throughly enjoying watching an episode of “Bonanza” that John wrote. The name of episode is titled “Springtime” It is hilarious and of course well-written. He will be sorely missed.
I had the great fortune of being John’s son Thank you for all the nice comments about my dad, but what no one can state other than his 7 children was not only was he a gifted writer but as good and kind as a father could be. He will be missed by many many people
John Furia 3rd
You’re very welcome, John.
My condolences.
Although I did not know John Furia, Jr., I would like to express my deepest sympathy to his family. I lost my father in October 08 and understand the void in one’s life that is left. John Furia III, my condolences and know that the thoughts and prayers of the HPC school community are with you and your family.
I was John’s assistant in the 70′s for several years…from Kung Fu to Apple’s Way and The Blue Knight. I have thought of him often over the years but never kept in touch. It is only by fluke that I was looking on the internet and happened upon the news of his passing. I am so sorry for your loss and wanted to send my condolences.