Malcolm M Furniss

Malcolm MacFarlane Furniss

June 17, 1926- November 11, 2025

"Mal" Furniss was born June 17,1926 at Branchville, NJ to Ruth Nina Watts Furniss and Clinton Chollet Furniss, Sr. While he was still an infant, the family moved to Waverly, NY, a rural town in the Appalachian Mountains. At an early age, he began exploring the nearby woods and streams, attracted by their wildlife and environment. These outings continued throughout his youth and his attachment to the outdoors was to carry over into his later work.

After graduation from high school in 1944, he moved to Berkeley, CA, and enlisted in the Army Air Corps Aviation Cadet program. He entered service at Camp Beal, CA, in January 1945. He was stationed at airfields within the United States until being discharged at Truax Field, Wi, in November 1945 without receiving flight training due to the ending of the war.

He studied forestry at the University of California, Berkeley, financed by the GI Bill and part-time work in a paint and varnish lab. In 1949, he married Irene MacDonald Drummond whom he met at work. Son, Richard, and daughter, Carolyn, were born while he was still a student. After graduating he was employed by the Berkeley Forest Insect Laboratory, located on the UC campus. Summers were spent in the forest in Lassen County at field stations at Blacks Mountain and Hat Creek.

In October 1954, he transferred to the Forest Service Experiment Station in Ogden, UT and to Boise ID in May 1955. There, he was assigned to research on the Douglas-fir beetle on which he became an authority. His studies were centered on the South Fork Salmon River where his family lived for seven summers in a resurrected CCC building without electricity or phone service. In May 1963, he moved to Moscow ID where the Forestry Sciences Laboratory had just been built and subsequently became project leader of a forest insect research unit. He retired from there in April 1982 after which he was affiliated with the Department of Entomology at the University of Idaho.

Insects of forest shrubs were one of his interests and he studied a defoliator of mountain mahogany on Juniper Mountain, Owyhee County, for his Master's degree that was awarded by the University of Idaho in 1966.

During his career, he studied many forest insects, particularly bark beetles, throughout western North America contributing greatly to the knowledge of their biology and their natural role in the forest. He was particularly attracted to Mexico and Alaska because of the remoteness of the forests there and the Opportunity to study insects that others had not. Many insects and associated organisms that he collected were new to science, four of which were named after him. he was a Prolific writer. He published over 100 articles including a field guide to the bark beetles of Idaho. As chairman of a forest entomology history committee, he published thirteen historical articles that appeared in the American Entomologist and in Latah Legacy. In 1998, the Western Forest Insect Work Conference presented their Founders Award to him.

He regularly planted a large vegetable garden and took pride and not using inorganic pesticides on his acreage. At one Latah County fair, his vegetables and fruit earned him the Gardener of the Year Award. He was also had avid photographer and one numerous awards in photo salons, involving insects and outdoor subjects.

Skiing with another one of his outdoor activities. He was a Senior National Ski Patrolman and head of ski patrol at Tamarack ski area in Moscow Mountain After open in 1965. Mal also enjoyed fishing and had caught all Alaskan species of sport fish except burbot, mostly on hand tie flies. He had taken six species of big gain by a bow and arrow, including moose, caribou and a pope and young bull elk, just making the 1975 first edition record book. He kept two horses for packing to mountain Lakes in hunting and always had a dog for companionship and hunting birds.

He is survived by his son, Richard of Port Angeles, WA, and his grandson, Jamie, furniss and family, (Perrine Lachenal) Adam Nash and Leonore Wren of Marseille, France. His granddaughter, Allison Furniss of Cape Town, South Africa. His daughter, Carolyn Brockway, and grandchildren David Lichtenberger, Michael Brockway(Kristin) and their sons Blake and Brandon, stepson David Brockway(Shelly) and their daughters, Emma and Allie, all in Oregon.

No service will be held at his request. He wishes to have contributions in his memory made to the Moscow Animal Shelter. 2019 White Ave., Moscow ID 83843.