Jair Lee Furnas, 50, of Deming, WA, passed away on June 20, 2025, due to a sudden cardiac event while traveling for work in upstate New York.
Jair was born on October 22,1974, in Bellingham, WA, the only son of Laureen and Michael Furnas of Lynden, WA.
Survivors include his parents; sisters, Leah Furnas of Bend, OR, Jael Komac (Frank) of Ferndale, WA, Mara Radtke (Brad) of Ferndale, WA; nephews and nieces, James, Donovan, Jammi, Garrett, Andrew, Sirre, Jared, and Jordyn; uncles: Rodger Kenoyer (Barb), Richard Furnas, Scott Furnas; great-uncle, Larry Brooks (Karen); grand-nieces, nephew and many cousins. He also leaves behind many friends across the country, including his work colleagues from Alcoa and Alcoa Intalco Works who all loved him dearly.
He was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, Ed Furnas and JayCee Corder; maternal grandparents, Earl Kenoyer and Ernestine (Mel) Brown; great-grandmother Frances Brooks; great-great-aunt, Gertrude Kenoyer; and uncle, Earl Kenoyer Jr.
Jair attended Meridian Schools and graduated in 1993. He went on to further his education at Whatcom Community College, and also Western Washington University. In early 1995, he accepted a job at Intalco Alumax in Ferndale, WA as a pot room helper. It was there he would build his career over the next 30+ years. Jair’s zealous appetite for knowledge led him to utilize the company’s tuition assistance program and he continuously took classes at Western Washington University while working full-time. He used his education, job skills, and ability to connect with people to become a supervisor for Intalco (now Alcoa Intalco Works) and eventually moved into the Human Resources department as the plant’s Labor Relations Specialist. He was a Human Resources Manager for Alcoa for the past 4 years.
Jair was deeply involved in the community; physically working on projects, coordinating and fundraising for them. He also served on a number of boards including the Mother Baby Center, North Coast Credit Union, Whatcom Art Museum, and Whatcom Community College Foundation.
There are very few people in this world who can make you feel comfortable with them, like you’ve known them for years, the very first time you meet them. Jair was one of those people. Jair was extremely smart and had the very best stories. He was a devoted uncle, son and brother and always made time for family dinners. He often showed up hours ahead of time or hosted at his beautiful property on the river so he could prepare the perfectly cooked main course.
His legacy of warmth and generosity will be cherished and never forgotten by those whose lives he touched. The family extends their warmest heartfelt appreciation to all who have reached out to them to share their condolences. They would appreciate any stories and photos you have about Jair. Please email those to: Jairmemories@gmail.com
Jair’s family asks you to reach out to someone you have thought about recently but did not connect with. Life is short, and often has unexpected twists and turns, so stay in touch with those who mean the most to you. If you are thinking of someone, pick up the phone and tell them. And if you would like to support a charity that meant a lot to Jair, please consider making a donation to the Ferndale Food Bank at www.ferndalefoodbank.org or the Whatcom Humane Society at whatcomhumane.org.
A celebration of life will be held in Jair’s honor at 2:00 P.M. on Saturday, October 18, 2025, at the Syre Auditorium at Whatcom Community College, 237 W. Kellogg Rd, Bellingham, WA. There will be time in the program for sharing special memories you have of Jair and light refreshments will be served after the event. All are welcome to attend.
This obituary was provided by a community member. Any opinions are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher of Whatcom News nor its advertisers or supporters. Information and claims contained within have not been verified.
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