Wade Anthony Furlong

Wade Anthony Furlong, 41, died by suicide, on Tuesday, August 9, 2022. He lived with mental health conditions for over a decade and was tragically unable to overcome them. Wade’s family would like all to be aware that if you or anyone you know is having problems with mental health conditions, professional medical/therapy can greatly help.  The National Alliance on Mental Illness organization is one that has been greatly helping their family: http://www.nami.org/Support-Education/Support-Groups. 

Wade was born on September 3, 1980, in Iowa City, Iowa, the son of John Anthony and Lonna Dee (Smith) Furlong. His early years on the Furlong farm included many fun memories such as when he got his younger brother Judd (3 years old at the time) stuck on the roof and making forts out of trash from the nearby dump as well as a boat out of an old bathtub.  The hijinks continued in adolescence with ketchup packet fights from car windows and elaborate firework battles.

Wade graduated from Atlantic High School in 1998 and Iowa State University in 2002. He was a talented artist, with a preference for ink drawings of creatures/people in unusual poses. He used this skill as a carny and enjoyed getting people to pay him for making fun of them through his caricatures. Wade received his master’s degree in fine arts, specializing in anatomy, from the New York Academy of Art in 2007. A book of his art, Fortified Excrement(s), was published in 2008.  He was also proud of having a work “Flippin’ Birdy” included in the collection Spectrum 16 – The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art in 2009. He spent many years as a freelance illustrator and amassed a following of over 3,000 on https://www.deviantart.com/wadefurlong.

Wade was always an animal lover, from his first cat “Fuzzy Pat” to taking the family dog, Bear, through the drive through at McDonalds (although Wade never ate any of what was purchased. ;).) Later in life, he volunteered at the Iowa City Animal Shelter and enjoyed taking interesting portrait pictures of himself with his current cat, Ink.

Wade enjoyed graphic novels and comic books and amassed a large collection. His favorite characters were Wolverine, the X-Men, the Joker and Batman.  He also liked to cook and bake, paying special attention to healthy foods. He worked in the bakery of the local Hy-Vee before earning his certified nursing assistant certification. He worked in the Psychiatric Medical Emergency Department of the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics as a Nursing Assistant before transitioning to the Emergency Department as a Nursing Technician. He was a dedicated co-worker and made a positive impact on them and the patients he served, especially throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

 Wade lived his life through art and independence, as much as he was able, while being open with those he knew about his daily struggles and the work he put in to improve his life. Those that knew him were fortunate to experience his humor, eye for the oddities of life and opinions on how life is.  Wade was a night owl, a quiet but strong presence, a unique individual who was greatly loved and will be deeply missed by many. Those include: his parents, John and Lonna Furlong of Riverside; siblings, Nick (Alena) Furlong of Missoula, Montana and Judd Furlong of Des Moines; nephews, Nile and Van Furlong; aunts Beth Furlong, Mary Furlong, Lisa Nalean and Lynet Smith; and his cat, Ink.  

If it would benefit you to donate in Wade’s name, the Iowa City Animal Shelter and Iowa City Library are places that would honor who Wade was.   At this time no visitation or services are being planned.  Online condolences may be left for the family at www.sandhfuneralservice.com.

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