Irene Furst
FURST: Irene Furst (nee Winograd), of Pittsburgh, PA and formerly of Baltimore, passed away on Nov. 30, 2019 at the age of 98. Devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, Holocaust survivor of Lodz, Poland, the Lodz Ghetto, Auschwitz, and Stutthuff concentration camps, and one of the most amazing inspirational people her friends, family and community have known. She was brilliant, compassionate, resilient, strong and wise. She was predeceased by her adoring husband and Riga, Latvian Holocaust survivor Gilbert Furst. She is the mother of Linda Furst (Dr. Dennis J.) Hurwitz, Allen (Arlene) Furst, and Dr. Herbert (Susan) Furst; she was loved and admired by her grandchildren, Jeffrey Hurwitz and Julia Hurwitz (Andrew) Silbernagel and the late Karen Rachel Hurwitz, Lauren Furst Williams and Lisa Furst (Jeff) Hall, Adam (Ariella) Furst, and Jason (Bianca)Furst ; her great-grandchildren are Riley, Harper, Hunter and Jagger; and several cousins, especially child survivor, Dr. Ilona Winograd Barkal, of Stockholm and Israel, who cherished her dearly. Irene and Gilbert emigrated to Baltimore, Maryland in 1947, through the efforts of HIAS and sponsorship of Phillip Furst. There, they raised their three children. After she worked as a manager at H&R Block for 26 years, she moved to Pittsburgh to be near her daughter Linda. In Squirrel Hill, she became an active part of the Pittsburgh community, sharing her life experiences in person and through video biography with numerous students, participating in Na’amat, and enjoying Maj, cards and Scrabble. She remained a competitive scrabble player, strong and independent, residing at Maxon Towers until recently. Her caregivers helped her retain her dignity in recent months and are appreciated by her family. Funeral services and interment will be held at Chevra Ahavas Chesed Cemetery – Randallstown, MD on Tuesday, December 3, at 1 p.m. She will be laid to rest next to her husband. Please omit flowers. Contributions in her memory may be sent to The Karen Rachel Hurwitz Library at Community Day School, 6424 Forward Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15217, or The Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh or the charity of your choice. Pittsburgh shiva through Rodef Shalom Congregation, 412-621-6566 on Wednesday only from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.
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