Professor David John Furley, 87, of Charlbury, United Kingdom, formerly of Princeton, died January 26 after a long illness in Banbury Hospital, Banbury, United Kingdom. A former chairman of Princeton University’s Department of Classics, he was the first classicist to receive the University’s Howard T. Behrman Award for Distinguished Achievement in the Humanities, winning the award in 1984.

Born in Nottingham, England, he was educated at Nottingham High School and Cambridge University (Jesus College), where he graduated with first class honors in 1947. His studies were interrupted by active service in the Second World War, mainly in Burma, where he rose to the rank of Captain in the Artillery. After teaching in the Department of Greek and Latin of University College London from 1947 to 1966, he joined the Princeton faculty in 1966 as a professor of classics. From 1974 to his retirement in 1992 he was the Ewing Professor of Greek Language and Literature. He also directed the Program in Classical Philosophy from 1969 to 1982 and chaired the Department of Classics from 1982 to 1985. During his career he served as president of the Society for Ancient Greek Philosophy and chairman of the International Committee of the Symposium Aristotelicum.

Together with his wife Phyllis, who died in 2009, he enjoyed the company of many friends in the Princeton community.

He is survived by two sons, John and William from his first marriage to Diana (née Armstrong); four grandchildren; four step-children from his second marriage, Alison, Neil, Kate, and Fiona; four step-grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

The funeral will be this Friday, February 12 in Charlbury near Oxford. The address of the Furleys in Charlbury is 14 The Playing Close, Charlbury, Oxfordshire OX7 3RZ, England.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to http://www.alzheimers-research.org.uk.

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