David W Furtwengler

David Willis Furtwengler, age 55, went home to be with His Lord and Savior, May 28, 2025, surrounded by his family at Vanderbilt Hospital after a year long battle with Myelodysplastic Syndrome. He had a stem cell transplant October 1, 2024 (his second birthday) and he was cancer free, but he had multiple transplant complications. During his treatment, Dave encouraged many others and continually shared his faith.

Dave was born July 8, 1969 in New Hartford, New York to Willis Joseph Furtwengler and Janice Peterson. He was the youngest of three with two older sisters, Marsha and Christen. He moved to Nashville, TN at age five. As a boy, he loved to build things and draw rockets. He graduated from Brentwood High School in 1987 where he made lifelong friends. He accepted Jesus as his saviour in a High School Bible Study. He played trumpet in the Brentwood High school band and later in the Vanderbilt band. He earned a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Vanderbilt University in 1991 and a Masters of Science in Technology Management from UAH in 1999. He met his best friend and love of his life, Susan Honeycutt Furtwengler, at Vanderbilt and married her on August 14, 1993 at Christ Community Church in Franklin, TN.

After his graduation from Vanderbilt, Dave moved to Huntsville, Alabama to work at Redstone Arsenal. A boy who loved rockets got to move to the Rocket City. He always had a mind and passion for engineering. Dave worked for the Department of Defense for 34 years. He worked most recently as Chief Engineer for the STORM (Strategic and Operational Rockets and Missiles) project office. He worked for 25 years for the Missile Defense Agency as Director and Chief Test Engineer for Test Resources, Ground-Based Midcourse Defense and Theatre High Altitude Area Defense programs. During his career he helped to develop and test rockets, missile systems, launchers, radars, and targets. He was known for being an exceptionally encouraging and kind leader, taking time out of his day to pray with his coworkers.

Dave was a long time member of Madison Bible Church. He was a servant leader and a devoted follower of Jesus. He shared His faith with everyone he knew and put the welfare of others before his own. He was always looking for someone to bless even when he was going through his cancer treatment. He loved his family and others unconditionally. He frequently shared verses with his family and friends and on his support page.

This verse he shared right before his transplant to his family:

“Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.”

Psalms‬ ‭62‬:‭5‬-‭8‬ ‭NIV

He said "I won't have one foot on the rock and one on the world's quicksand. They will both be firmly on the rock and I endeavor to live that way." In the face of challenges, Dave stood firm and rooted his life upon his faith.

Dave loved Vanderbilt sports, especially a rare winning season. He loved to travel up to Nashville for games with his friends and family for many years. He had a wonderful sense of humor and he could always make us laugh with his favorite movie quotes, accurate impersonations and his ability to laugh at himself. He loved volunteering with the Westminster Christian Academy band even after his own children had graduated. He assisted in launching the school’s first marching band and served as a marching instructor under the nickname “Dr. Dave”, a name the students lovingly coined for him. He also enjoyed playing basketball, traveling, spending time with his family and friends, gardening, reading, and working at his lake lot where he planned to build a house for his family and friends to enjoy.

Dave loved his family most of all. He was a devoted father and husband who led his family to follow Jesus. He joyfully participated in his children's lives as a volunteer for field trips, band, church youth group, basketball coach, or ballet dad. He was David and Bethany’s biggest fan and cherished every moment with his wife and children.

Survivors include his wife, Susan Furtwengler. Children, David (son) and Emily Furtwengler and Bethany (daughter) and Andrew Sawyer. Father and Mother, Bill and Carol Furtwengler. Mother, Jan Holman (Cliff), Sister, Marsha (Lynn) Keck. Step sister, Susie Witte (Dave). Brother-in-law Steve (Barb), Sister-in-law Sharon Honeycutt. Mother in law Maxine Honeycutt. And many loved nieces, nephews, and great nieces. He was preceded in death by his sister, Christen Wilkes.

Dave's celebration of life will be June 19, 2025 at 4:30 pm Madison Bible Church in Madison Alabama with visitation starting at 3 pm.

Suggested donations that would honor Dave include, giving blood or platelets, becoming a stem cell donor, or donating financially to the National Marrow Donor Program or to Madison Bible Church.