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Writer's pictureNova Scotia Obituaries

Furrow, David Ronald

Halifax, NS

February 23, 1954 - October 20, 2024


FURROW, David Ronald. Also known variously as Grampa, Dad, that guy who rides his bike up and down the Bedford Highway, and by thousands of students of Psychology and Child Development at Mt St Vincent over the years from 1980 onwards, Dr Furrow. He died at home on October 20th, 2024, with some of the many who loved him around his bed.


His roots were in the Maritimes: born to Jean (McLellan) Furrow and Donald Bertram Furrow in a country hospital in Harvey Station, New Brunswick on February 23rd, 1954, he spent his early years in McAdam and then Saint John. The future direction of his life was determined during the week of September 9th to 16th, 1971, when he came on the train to Halifax to study at Dalhousie with his high school friend John McCleave and John’s older brother David. The three were going to room together, but the elevators in Fenwick Towers weren’t working yet, and they were out on the street. The McCleave brothers brought David along to their uncle’s house, where he found both temporary shelter and a lasting love: Melissa McCleave, who was to be his wife of almost fifty years. And within the week, he had signed up for his first course in Psychology, which was to become his absorbing intellectual interest. His work in the LoLordo Lab at Dalhousie led to graduate work at Yale; a switch to Child Development at Yale led to his return to Mt St Vincent to teach, where he later served as department Chair, Director of Research, and Dean of Arts and Science. His marriage to Melissa brought two sons, Matthew Donald Furrow and Bartholomew David Furrow, whom he loved dearly; and their marriages to Fiona Menzies and Kelly Poon led to treasured grandchildren Kaylin, Andrew, Daniel, and Heather.


David was an aficionado of cryptic crosswords, an eager and handy tackler of home renovation projects, and an avid cyclist in sun, rain, or snow. Every year saw him log thousands of kilometres on two wheels. He retired early, while still a physically fit and active man, and enjoyed life as a snowbird, traveling to Tucson, Arizona where he could bike comfortably in the winter to his heart’s content, and spar intellectually (and sometimes, let it be admitted, in dopey juvenile fashion) with old friend Jake (Professor William Jacobs), another product of the LoLordo Lab. Later, stricken with frequent migraine headaches, he began to lose his enjoyment in life. He consulted a neurologist in Toronto, and only then was it discovered that he had advanced lung cancer, with metastases in the bones and brain. The fourteen months that followed were an onslaught of surgeries, radiations, and medications to control the disease, but also an outpouring of love and compassion from family, friends, doctors, nurses, caretakers, neighbours, and strangers on the street. Looking back on his life near its end, he reported feeling pleased, particularly by his marriage and his children, both of which he had always felt were his priorities. He also leaves behind beloved in-laws, nieces and nephews, cousins, great-nieces and great-nephews, and his brothers and sister Edward (Sandi Setter), Sydney (Jane), and Lona (Rob Murray); brother Timothy (Janet Brown) died before him.


A Celebration of Life will be held at The Rook in the Rosaria Building at Mt St Vincent University on November 9th at 2:00 pm. Further information (including link to a video livestream) will be posted at https://tinyurl.com/dfurrow.


In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Nova Scotia Nature Trust or to a university of your choice.




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