A Gift from Heaven

When you have nine children, you become accustomed to the unexpected. The unexpected broken arm, unexpected friends over for dinner, unexpected sibling fights in the backseat of the car. It becomes part of your daily routine, really. But no matter how accustomed you are to surprises, no parent or family can be prepared for everything.

The Furays raised their family in the Webster Groves area of St. Louis. Alice Furay Visser ‘84, the oldest of the nine Furay siblings was searching for a Catholic high school with high academic standards and financial aid opportunities. She chose to attend Cor Jesu Academy, setting the path for most of her younger sisters.

“It wasn’t easy to get to Cor Jesu,” Alice said. “I had to take two buses. But it was something I wanted to do and it was the place I wanted to be.”

After Alice came Ann Furay Poelzl ‘88, Clare Furay ‘91, Elizabeth Furay Bundt ‘92 and Suzanne Furay ‘94. Their younger sister, Julia, also started at CJA and graduated from Webster Groves High School in 1996.

“Cor Jesu taught me how to plan ahead, be proactive and how to overall be a good student and worker,” Suzanne said. “I feel empowered as a female in the workplace thanks to my roots at CJA.”

“My time at Cor Jesu was a turning point in my education,” Ann said. “I was successful in a difficult program in college and it was because of how Cor Jesu prepared me.” Heaven would have school, except it would teach fun subjects…

In addition to the academics, the Furay sisters each participated in a variety of activities. Most were involved in the plays, either as actresses or on the crew; they passed on the role of swim team manager one to the other, except to Elizabeth, who was a swimmer; most were in the National Honor Society; some wrote for the Corette (CJA’s school newspaper).

In heaven, there would be a grab bag of talents…

Perhaps the most talented writer of the Furay sisters was Clare.

“She had a regular column in the newspaper,” Jean Furay, mother of the Furay sisters, recalled proudly.

“She could scramble together an exemplary essay for Rhetoric during a study hour just before class,” Elizabeth added.

And while the Furay family always expected to read joyful, witty and thoughtful pieces from Clare, they didn’t expect to be creating a book of her writings in her memory so soon.

In heaven, we would talk to many intriguing people…

After graduating from Cor Jesu in 1991, Clare attended the University of Notre Dame on an ROTC scholarship and studied history. She then entered the Navy and served mostly as a supply officer, stationed in San Diego. When her four-year obligation to the Navy was close to an end, Clare had many options for her future. At that point, she was earning a nice paycheck as a full lieutenant and could remain in her position. She was also offered a full scholarship to the Saint Louis University School of Law. With two solid and fruitful choices in front of her, Clare chose a different path.

Heaven would have work to be done…

“She was quite religious and had a passion for volunteering,” Alice said. “Because of her strong faith, she really wanted to make a difference for people, so she decided to join the Jesuit Volunteer Corps (JVC).”

In August of 1999, Clare moved to Baltimore with the JVC to begin her volunteer work in affordable housing. She kept in touch with her family, of course, through letters and emails. There would be mail, but no junk mail…

In her spare time, she enjoyed jogging. On October 8, 1999, Clare was on her route and the unexpected happened. She was struck by a car. Immediately, a doctor, who a witness found in a nearby store, tended to Clare in the street. She was transported to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center and her parents were on the first plane to Baltimore upon hearing the news. Clare was on life support and died the next day. She was just 26 years old.

In my heaven, all the best parts of life would greet me every morning…

Devastated, the Furay family was “grasping at straws,” as Suzanne remembered, to make it through. They found comfort in donating Clare’s organs to others in need. And later, found solace in carrying on her name at Cor Jesu Academy with the Clare C. Furay Scholarship.

“Since she was recently out of the Navy, Clare had a life insurance policy with a substantial payout,” Alice said.

“We wanted to do something to honor her that we knew she would love. She loved education and writing, and her years at CJA were precious to her, so starting the scholarship to help families in need was the perfect combination of all those things.”

Conal and Jean Furay, Clare’s parents, were very specific when they started the scholarship in 2000. The money was to be designated for families who encounter something unexpected that changes their ability to pay tuition at CJA.

“Clare learned a lot about barriers and resiliency in her experiences, particularly in the Navy and the JVC,” Alice said.

“We like that this scholarship is sending a message to families to keep moving forward during the difficult times, and while you’re pushing through, this scholarship is here to help.”

The Ruffino family, who received the Clare C. Furay Scholarship during the 2020-2021 school year, heard that encouraging message loud and clear. The family encountered a series of unexpected events leaving Jen Ruffino, parent of Annie Ruffino ’21 and Ally Ruffino ’23, wondering if she could afford Catholic education for her daughters.

“Suddenly realizing I was a single mom who had sole custody and sole financial responsibility meant I would be forced to make sacrifices and tough choices,” Jen said. “After many prayers for courage, dignity and humility, I asked CJA for help. I didn’t know how scholarships were funded or the stories behind the donations that make tuition assistance possible. When we read Clare’s story, all three of us were moved to tears. I’ve seen

Cor Jesu educate the whole person – it is what makes this school stand apart from others. The lessons of grace and resiliency all three of us have learned from this life event are reinforced at Cor Jesu in the classroom, in activities and in relationships. As I’ve watched my daughters volunteer for stage crew, give tours to prospective families or serve as retreat leaders, I hope Clare is looking down from heaven and smiling about this chapter of her legacy.” Heaven would be full of joys…

The Furays all agreed that Clare would not have been the person she was without Cor Jesu, and her calling to a life of service is represented with her scholarship.

“The fact that Clare can continue to answer that call from heaven is really neat for all of us,” Ann said.

“I have peace in knowing that other young women get to experience the joys that come with attending CJA, as well as the spiritual and academic growth that come with being a Cor Jesu student,” Elizabeth said. “I hope the young women benefitting from Clare’s scholarship are able to carry on the tradition of stewardship to those who are in need.”

Yes, heaven is nice to think about. So God, wherever you are, I’ve taken the liberty of doing a little planning for you…