Douglas “Doug” Scott Furley, 66, passed away on the morning of April 16, 2025. Born November 14, 1958, in Norfolk, Nebraska, Doug lived life with grit, mischief, and a flame that danced just out of reach of ordinary.
He was the son of Neldagene Furley and the late Richard Furley, and brother to Debra (Bill) Smith and Gina (late Russ) Anders. Doug’s proudest legacy is his family: sons Kyle (Lindsay), Kohl (ShayLee), and Maison (Colleen), and his seven grandchildren—Wyatt, RyLyn, Brody, Tiller, Everly, Cora, and Logan—each of whom shared a special spark with their Papa. Nothing lit up his face like their laughter, and his inner child forged the strongest bonds with them.
Doug refused to stay still. After graduating from high school, he left Nebraska to work on the railroad, which he enjoyed for many years until an injury put his life on a new track. With classic grit, he learned a new role as a consultant and investigator for law firms representing injured railroad workers, making friends across a six-state territory.
Through his wandering, he found home in Sheridan, Wyoming after falling in love with the Bighorn Mountains. After two decades, the pull of change led him to obtain his CDL and he hit the road as a truck driver. It suited him and took him all over Wyoming, Colorado, and Nebraska.
Doug’s education came from the school of hard knocks, and he graduated with honors in stubbornness, storytelling, and fearless love and loyalty for his friends and family. He was a cowboy at his core and was happiest in a saddle, with a rope in his hand, looking down the chute. He had a gift for storytelling that could leave a room breathless with laughter. Doug never met a stranger he couldn’t befriend, and he’d never miss an opportunity to make them laugh. Speed limit signs were more of a suggestion to him—something his lawman father never quite let him live down—which was a homage to how he chose to live life: wild, free, and in his own style.
In early 2018, Doug was diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia, which later evolved into frontotemporal dementia. Over the next 8 years, this disease slowly affected every part of his life. By 2020, Doug required assistance with most of his daily activities and relocated to Hurricane, Utah to be near his middle son, Kohl, where he enjoyed the warmth and change of pace. Though the disease compromised his body and mind, it never touched the memories made by the countless lives he touched.
Doug was truly one of a kind—all steel and grit, with a quiet and unforgettable warmth that snuck up on you. His stories, his contagious laugh, and his loyal spirit will echo through the mountains, the winding roads, and the hearts of all who were lucky enough to know him.