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Cynthia Furr was passionate about many things: British literature, motherhood, her faith, even kickboxing.
That's how friends and colleagues remembered her Sunday, a day after she and her 2-year-old daughter were killed in a car accident police believe was caused by two other drivers racing each other along N.C. 49 in Steele Creek.
Furr, 45, was on her way to sing at a program at Pleasant Hill Presbyterian Church, where she was the longtime choir director. The impact of the crash left sheets of music scattered along the street.
Furr died at the scene. Her daughter, McAllister, died at a hospital.
Steve Price, the surviving husband and father, was not involved in the accident.
Less than a half-mile away, church members had seen the aftermath of the wreck and comforted each other after learning Furr and her daughter had been involved. Neighbors from the RiverPointe subdivision, where the family lived, gathered near the crash site to grieve.
The tributes to Furr and the toddler, known affectionately as Mackie, continued Sunday.
“(Furr) did very much live her faith,” said Nancy Nutter, who had known Furr since they were fourth graders at Steele Creek Elementary. “She was open and caring to her students and the folks she came into contact with. She was always ready and willing to lend an ear, was a very compassionate person and definitely will be missed.”
A graduate of Olympic High School, Furr also earned degrees from Queens University of Charlotte, Winthrop University and the University of South Carolina, where she received a Ph.D in English education.
Furr returned to Olympic to teach English, before joining Winthrop seven years ago. She taught writing and British literature.
Anna Hassell took a class in Shakespeare with Furr in spring of 2007, and said she never missed a session.
“She was such a strong force; a classic, classic woman,” said Hassell, who graduated from Winthrop last year. “She was a mother to me. She was a mentor as a Christian woman, a feminist. I loved the lady so much.”
On Sunday, flowers sat outside Furr's office, and visitors signed a memory book.
Furr also advised would-be English teachers and taught a kickboxing class at Winthrop and a local gym. A 2005 university profile said she is certified in martial arts.
The family tends cows at a farm in Chester County, where they also have horses. She and her husband had talked of retiring there.
Mackie a dream come true
“This is Mackie's mama, and you've reached the house where Mackie lives.”
That message greets callers to the home of Furr and Price, with a promise that messages will be returned when they “get too dirty or too tired to play.”
Friends said Mackie's birth was a dream come true for the couple, who took to parenthood quickly. Price is a co-owner of Price Brothers plumbing in Charlotte and met Furr when the two were students at Olympic.
The toddler looked like her father but had many of her mother's mannerisms, friends said.
Mackie “was a smart kid like her mother,” said Reena Lizardo, a family friend who occasionally watched the toddler.
Mackie was adored by her extended family members and was doted on as the only grandchild in the family. Her grandmother cared for her during the day while Furr worked, Nutter said.
Colleagues at Winthrop recalled seeing the toddler at their faculty meetings.
At church, Mackie often would mimic her mother. One time, when Furr was leading the children's choir, Mackie knelt on her knees as she did.
Motherhood, said Pastor Bob Jack, gave Furr “a new glow about life.”
Sunday's church services were dedicated to Furr and Mackie. The choir, which Furr had led for about 20 years, performed music she had been preparing for an Easter program.
Friends said Furr had a wonderful voice, and spread her love of music by directing the choir. She was so inspiring, she could make a rock sing, Jack said.
Funeral services had not been announced Sunday, but tributes to the family flowed freely from friends and colleagues.
“I know that even as we all grieve for her that she would tell us to live our lives,” said John Bird, an English professor at Winthrop. “She lived her life to the fullest every day. That doesn't console me for this loss, but it does tell me what she would have told – to live my life.”
Cleve R. Wootson Jr. of the Observer and Kimberly Dick of the (Rock Hill) Herald contributed.
