Dorothea “Thea” Consuelo Furman was born on June 20, 1938 to Dr. Thomas Clement and Dorothy (Roberts) Furman. She was a great-granddaughter of James C. Furman (1809-1891) and Mary G. (Davis) Furman (1824-1911) through her father. Thea graduated from Furman University in 1960. She married Stanley Britain Duffies II (1931-2013) in 1961.

She owned Thea Furman Duffies Interiors in Greenville, S.C. and was a member of the American Society of Interior Designers. Thea was active with the Furman University Decorative and Fine Arts Committee (DFAC). Thea passed away on July 6, 2012 in Greenville, S.C.

Thea’s father, Dr. Thomas C. Furman (1911-1995) was born in Greenville to Dr. Davis (1858-1931) and Nancy (Donaldson) Furman (1872-1960). His wife was Dorothy (Roberts) Furman (1914-1988). Dr. Thomas C. Furman was a graduate of Furman University and earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Virginia. He was in general practice in Greenville for 43 years before he retired. He was a member of the S.C. Medical Society and past president of the Greenville County Medical Society.

Thea’s second great-grandparents were Thomas Q. Donaldson (1834-1912), an attorney, and Susan B. Hoke (1836-1905). Her great-great-grandfather was David Hoke (1809-1865). Romayne A. Barnes (1906-1994) and John O.W. Donaldson (1897-1930) were Thea’s first cousins once removed.

Jonathan Rutledge Davis (1816-1890) was an ancestor of Thea Furman, a brother to her great-grandmother Mary G. (Davis) Furman, second wife of James C. Furman.