Remembering Mary Jo Furgal: A close friendship
Those of us who served in the Foreign Service are accustomed to making new friends wherever we serve. Sometimes, we lose track of the FSNs, host-country nationals, and FSOs whom we meet at one post as we move on to another. Although today we have e-mail to facilitate continuing connections, when I joined the International Communication Agency in 1979, we didn’t have such easy connections. I confess that despite my best efforts to remember people at Christmas with an annual update on my life, I “lost” contact with many friends over the years.Mary Jo Furgal was different. We met at my first post-JOT post – Madras – in May 1981, and our careers, interests, careers, and friendship continued to overlap until her passing in October 2025. Because of her ten-year struggle with Alzheimer’s disease, we had a long good-bye, but it still stung when we lost her.
When we met in Madras, we shared a secretary, Prema Balasubramanian, who had the misfortune of sitting in an office that connected the two of us. We frequently yelled across Prema as we discovered some new programming opportunity or plotted strategy for dealing with a boss who was the most difficult of our careers. (It was good to get that experience out of the way early!)
Mary Jo was responsible for programming in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, while I was responsible for Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Pondicherry. In addition, she was responsible for the very busy USIS library – a natural responsibility given that she had an M.L.S. and had worked in a library – whereas I was responsible for the Audio-Visual and Distribution & Records Sections. Each of us worked on the press and International Visitor Programs for grantees from our states, and academic exchanges were handled by the U.S. Educational Foundation in India. We both had outstanding FSN colleagues who advised us on programs and activities and organized our monthly forays into the mofussil.We were lucky to have such a talented staff and lots of resources left over from the PL-480 Rupees that funded much of our work. We shared ideas, as did our staffs, and we supported each other as we sought to influence Indian public opinion in South India. I was living alone at the time, since my future wife was living in the U.S., and Mary Jo and her husband Joe kindly adopted me as their friend during the two years we were together.
After our two years in Madras, Mary Jo and Joe went on to Nepal and Bangladesh, while I went on to assignments in Frankfurt and Bern, but she made it back for the obligatory Washington assignment – serving in Foreign Service personnel – in time to ensure that I was assigned as India/Sri Lanka Desk Officer as she was shipping out to Colombo as CAO. We would reunite on my annual visits to my posts.
After my own Washington assignment, I went on to Dhaka, and Mary Jo visited us from Colombo. It soon became clear that her connections to our DRS were still strong from her days as CAO. She went on to other CAO assignments in Harare and Bucharest, and I asked her if she didn’t want to try her hand as an IO or PAO. She made it clear that she enjoyed her work in cultural affairs and wasn’t interested in the other side of our work.As luck would have it, we both found ourselves in Washington on other occasions, and ultimately, she retired in Arlington a few years before I did. She made the transition to retirement better than I, but she and Joe continued to support my wife and me as we took post-retirement jobs in the area.
I was always amazed at their energy as they opened their home to foreign military exchange students, volunteered at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival and Kennedy Center, and otherwise remained engaged in cultural exchanges and activities, including the Arlington Philharmonic and the Lubber Run summer concert series. In addition, they introduced us to Joe’s Polish heritage and to Lenten rituals that included an annual visit to an Orthodox church for meatless pierogis on a Friday and an especially rich Easter Sunday soup.
As they began making plans to move from Arlington to their native Chicago area, we had a few final opportunities to say good-bye. Her ultimate passing struck me hard. Joe had kept us informed about Mary Jo’s decline, but I was especially saddened by his note that she had stopped eating and was moving from memory care into hospice care. I miss her.
Michael Korff
October 2025
Top photo: Seated - Mary Jo Furgal and Michael Korff; Standing: Lily Rahman, Meena Korff, Ahmed Mustafa, Mahtab Ahmad
Middle photo: Syamal Maitra, Meena Korff, Carlos Aranaga, Mary Jo Furgal, Michael Korff, Joe Furgal, Suchitra Maitra
Lower photo: Mary Jo Furgal and Meena Korff at Sonargaon, Bangladesh
Obituary
Mary Jo Furgal passed away peacefully on October 19, 2025, at the age of 86.Born on July 6, 1939, Mary Jo grew up in Maywood, Illinois, the oldest of four siblings. A lifelong learner and adventurer, she lived her life with intellectual curiosity, grace, and a deep appreciation for culture and connection.
A graduate of Siena High School’s Class of 1957 in Chicago, Mary Jo went on to earn her Bachelor’s degree in History from Clarke College in Dubuque, Iowa, where she graduated magna cum laude. In her junior year, she studied in Vienna for a semester with IES Abroad—an experience that sparked her lifelong love of cultural exchange, travel and global exploration.
After college, Mary Jo spent a year working before continuing her studies at the East-West Center in Honolulu, where she earned a Master’s degree in Asian History. Her academic journey took her to Japan for a year of study—an experience that profoundly shaped her worldview and deepened her appreciation for intercultural understanding. Never one to stop learning, she later earned a second Master’s degree in Library Science from the University of Chicago.
While working at the University of Illinois in Chicago, Mary Jo met her future husband and travel partner, Joseph “Joe” Furgal. The two married in 1971 and began a life together filled with adventure, discovery, and friendship around the world.
In 1978, Mary Jo began her lifelong career with the U.S. Department of State as a Foreign Service Cultural Affairs Officer. She served with distinction in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Romania, and Zimbabwe. Her work was often described as “the most fun job in the embassy,” as she delighted in bringing artists, musicians, authors, astronauts, athletes, dancers, and speakers together across cultures. Through her dedication, warmth, and enthusiasm, she helped build bridges of understanding between people and nations. In addition to earlier awards she retired with “The Secretary’s Career Achievement Award” which acknowledged her 25 years of service, 17 of which were spent overseas.
Mary Jo and Joe cherished their years abroad, immersing themselves in local culture, customs, cuisines, and traditions. Whether hosting friends at home or attending cultural events, they lived with open hearts and an adventurous spirit.
Mary Jo is survived by her beloved husband, Joe Furgal. She was preceded in death by her siblings Barbara Rossi, Leo (Kathy) Rossi, and Joseph (Harriet) Rossi. She was a loving and devoted aunt to 15 nieces and nephews, all of whom she adored.
Mary Jo will be remembered for her intelligence, curiosity, kindness, and her deep respect for the wonder and beauty of different cultures. She lived a remarkable life, rich with experience, friendship, and love.
Visitation to be held on Monday, October 27th from 10:00AM until time of Funeral Service 12:00PM at Adams-Winterfield & Sullivan Funeral Home, 4343 Main Street, Downers Grove, Illinois 60515. Lunch will follow at Za Za’s restaurant.
Mary Jo will be privately laid to rest at Queen of Heaven Cemetery.
To help others enjoy the wonders of intercultural exchange, Mary Jo funded three different scholarships for international study. In lieu of flowers she would appreciate donation to the:
Clarke University
Furgal Study Abroad Fund
1550 Clarke Drive
Dubuque, IA 52001