Werner Furrer Sr
Werner Furrer Sr, 93, peacefully passed away on June 28th. Born in Zurich, Switzerland in 1927, he came to the United States via Canada when he and his future wife Martha eloped. He and Martha travelled around the United States, having children along the way, and finally settled in the Pacific Northwest first in Hoquiam and then in Everett.
Werner was a strong, kind, loving and supportive father. His knowledge and guidance were the foundation of his family. He was an outdoor enthusiast and introduced his family to a lifelong love of Mother Nature and his true passion of kayaking. Kayaking truly runs in the blood of his family and his legacy will live on through Werner Paddles.
He paddled the last time 2 days before this year’s Father’s Day where the family gathered around him.
A story of Werner Sr. was published in winter of 2007 in Kayak Session Magazine. We link it here as a remembrance.
THE WERNER STORY
More memories will be shared in the coming weeks through Werner Paddles.
12 comments
May the memory of Werner Sr. always be a blessing to his family, friends and the paddlesports community. I stumbled upon this blog and am inspired reading about Werner Sr’s life, legacy, commitment, and genuine interest in people. The early photos of building boat molds and paddles in the garage is nostalgic for me as my own father worked with glass and resins to repair sailboats, rudders and even one of my early wood paddles. I was curious about how my Werner paddle is built and the milestones that led to the art of refining its design. Now I more fully understand and appreciate the engineering behind its creation. I am captivated by the story of Martha and Werner Sr. His lifelong commitment to build and to share his passion definitely fuels the soul. Keep the stories coming. Thank you.
May the memory of Werner Sr. always be a blessing to his family, friends and the paddlesports community. I stumbled upon this blog and am inspired reading about Werner Sr’s life, legacy, commitment, and genuine interest in people. The early photos of building boat molds and paddles in the garage is nostalgic for me as my own father worked with glass and resins to repair sailboats, rudders and even one of my early wood paddles. I was curious about how my Werner paddle is built and the milestones that led to the art of refining its design. Now I more fully understand and appreciate the engineering behind its creation. I am captivated by the story of Martha and Werner Sr. His lifelong commitment to build and to share his passion definitely fuels the soul. Keep the stories coming. Thank you.
I remember meeting him the first time and thinking about all the different places he’d been, the things he’d seen. He seemed larger than life to me then and he still does. Big condolences to the family.
The first time I met Werner he asked me “How are you? How is your soul”. And he really meant it, “how is your soul”. No one ever asked me that before. He was very interested in the connections between people. I paddle with his Daughter, Mel and he told us before our trips to be sure to sit together (in a circle) and talk with each other and share stories- to know another’s soul. His will be greatly missed.
What a man. What a LIFE! A pioneer, a legend, and what a story teller! He was truly interested when he asked “How are you?”. A simple answer like good or fine was not acceptable . He really wanted to know How are YOU! His enthusiasm to learn was endless. I am proud to know you Vatti. You’ve touched many ❤️
Shelley