James H. Furbush, Jr., 86, of Baldwinsville, passed away Friday, April 12, 2013 with his family by his side. He was a native of Baldwinsville and graduated from Baldwinsville Academy where he and several teammates established Baldwinsville's first swim team. Also, he lettered in Varsity Football. He enlisted in the US Navy in 1944 to serve aboard the USS North Carolina. He completed his duty in Tokyo Bay when Japan surrendered to the USA at the end of WWII. He attended Cornell University and graduated in 1951 with a Bachelor of Science degree. He was a member of the Agricultural College Honors Fraternity, ALPHA ZETA and of the Cornell Alumni Association. After college, Jim returned home to develop the family farm on Canton Street into IRONWOOD Golf and Country Club. He built and opened the course in 1962 and ran it successfully until he sold it in 2006. Jim was instrumental in starting the Baldwinsville Garden Club while working for Ortho Garden products and was a charter member of the Baldwinsville Optimist Club and a past member of the Baldwinsville Chamber of Commerce. He was a member of the US Navy League and the American Legion Post #4 in Acapulco, Mexico. He was a 3rd degree Baldwinsville Knights of Columbus Council #5082 member for 35 years and a charter member of the Central New York Golf Course Superintendents Association. Jim was an avid fan of the NY Yankees and Syracuse University sports and also loved to travel. In addition to yearly winter treks to Acapulco, Jim and his wife Charlene enjoyed visiting the United Kingdom, Egypt, Japan, Russia and other locales.

Survivors: his wife, Charlene; son, James H. (Beth) Furbush, III of Murfreesboro, NY, daughter, Glenna (Robert) Wisniewski of Skaneateles, daughter, Deborah (Rev. Dr. Kenneth J., FRSA) Barnes of Oxford, England, and daughter Wendy (Robert) Peck of Stuarts Draft, VA; sister, Nancy Goodman and brother William T. Furbush both of Beaumont, CA; 9 grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.

Calling hours are 4-7pm Thursday, April 18, 2013 at Falardeau Funeral Home, 93 Downer St., Baldwinsville. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 10:00am Friday, April 19, 2013 at St. Mary's Church, Baldwinsville. Burial will follow at Riverview Cemetery, Baldwinsville.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Beaver Lake Nature Center, 8477 E. Mud Lake Road, Baldwinsville, NY 13027.