Obituary of Domenick "Mickey" Furfari

Mickey Furfari, 92, of Morgantown, WV, died Monday, July 11, 2016 at Ruby Memorial Hospital. Born as Domenick Furfari, Jr. on July 29, 1923, son of the late Domenick and Josephine Catalano Furfari. Mickey was a 1941 graduate of Morgantown High School and a 1948 graduate of West Virginia University with a BS degree in Journalism. In between, Mickey served in the US Army in both Europe and the Pacific during World War II. Following graduation from WVU, he began a long career as a journalist. He worked at the Charleston and Huntington papers before returning to Morgantown as the Sports Editor of the Dominion-News (Dominion Post). In a distinguished career spanning eight decades, Mickey held the positions of managing editor, sports editor, Sunday editor and executive sports editor for the Morgantown newspapers. Since retiring in 1989, he had been writing free-lance sports columns which have been published in several newspapers throughout West Virginia. As sports editor, he covered West Virginia University football, basketball and baseball and was a frequent visitor to the press box at Three Rivers Stadium for Pittsburgh Pirates games. He was an honorary lifetime member of the Baseball Writers Association of America. He was inducted into the West Virginia University Sports Hall of Fame (2006), the Basketball Writers of America HOF (2011), and was a district representative for the annual Heisman Trophey Award, which is voted to college football’s outstanding player. In 2009 he was presented the Distinguished West Virginian Award by Gov. Joe Manchin in a ceremony in Morgantown. Mickey was a member of St. John University Parish in Morgantown. He is survived by three children: Michael (Barbara) Furfari of Wexford, PA, Jane (Bruce) Stofferahn of Henderson, NV, and Lisa Meduho of Winter Haven, FL; two grandsons, Ryan (Mairi) Stofferahn of Lancaster, CA, Dr. Matthew Stofferahn of Henderson, NV; four granddaughters: Leigh Anne (Kevin) Peterson of Tampa, FL, Lauren Meduho of Lakeland, FL, Robyn Furfari of Charlotte, NC, and Tina (Kevin) Kelly of Glenshaw, PA; four great-grandchildren; one sister, Louise Furfari Caruso and husband Michael of Morgantown, WV; and several nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, Mickey was preceded in death by his wife of 56 years, Elizabeth (Betty) Skinner Furfari, three sisters, Anna Furfari Oliver, Nellie Furfari Mancini, and Marguerite Furfari, three brothers, Frank Anthony Furfari, Calvin H. Furfari and William H. Furfari; brothers-in-law Samuel Oliver Sr. and Dante Mancini, and sisters-in-law, Olga Furfari and Eleanor Furfari, and one great-grandchild. Family and friends will be received at Hastings Funeral Home, 153 Spruce St., Morgantown from 2-4 and 6-8 pm., Wednesday, July 13. Visitation will continue at St John University Parish, 1481 University Ave. on Thursday, July 14 from 10 am until the time of the Mass of Christian Burial at 11 am on with Father Isaac Haywiser O.S.B. as Celebrant. Burial will follow at East Oak Grove Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to Legends of WVU Basketball Athletic Scholarship/In honor of Mickey Furfari, an endowment to provide undergraduate scholarships for qualified student-athletes at WVU. Contributions may also be made to Hospice Care Corporation, Arthurdale, WV 26520.