Mrs. Ryland B. Furlong, better known as "Ry" passed away peacefully on Sunday, June 26, 2022 as the result of a long battle with a lung disease. She was a non-smoker and the wife of Rear Admiral George M. Furlong, better known as "Skip". They had enjoyed being married for more than sixty-six years in a storybook marriage and had lived in Azalea Trace for more than 14 years.

Ry was the daughter of Dr. Ryland Blakey and his wife Mrs. Katherine "Topsy" Blakey. Dr. Blakey was a prominent doctor and surgeon in the Greenville, SC area. Ry and Skip met in 1953 when she was attending Mount Vernon College in Washington, D.C. and Skip was a midshipman at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland following five years of enlisted service in the U. S. Navy.

The couple were married on June 5, 1956 and Skip entered Naval flight training several days later. He earned his wings of gold one year later in Corpus Christi, TX and the Furlongs were off on an international adventure together. During the next 66+ years, they traveled all over the world on overseas assignments, personal trips and even several African safaris. They lived in several cities along the coast of California from San Diego to Monterey, Albuquerque, NM, Kailua, HI, Norfolk, VA, Gaeta, Italy and Washington, DC before finally arriving again in Pensacola where Skip finished his Naval career as Vice Chief of Naval Education and Training headquartered at NAS Pensacola.

Through all of these many years of high adventure, almost continuous travel and duties as the wife of an adventurous naval officer, Ry mentored thousands of Navy wives while raising two boys; Morgan and William and created nurturing homes for them in over 20 different locations. Their son, Morgan, has just retired as a senior FedEx Captain after serving for 11 years as a Navy fighter pilot and 26 years with FedEx. Their youngest son, William, passed away in 2021 following a severe heart attack. He was a certified nursing assistant. Morgan and his wife, Terri, live in Collierville, TN. Skip & Ry's four grandchildren, Morgan Jr, Brandon, Ryland and Will, are spread across the US and doing very well; Morgan Jr is a U.S. Army Veteran and A/C Mechanic headed to Abilene, TX, Brandon is a U.S. Marine in flight training in Pensacola, Ryland is a Nanny in Nashville, TN and Will is going to enter an exceptional Special Needs program at Collierville High School in Collierville, TN in August.

After settling in Pensacola, Ry and Skip lived in several homes, two of which they had built, and finally landed in Azalea Trace 14 years ago. Ry was an exceptionally strong woman that battled the disease to the very end. Ry and Skip were members of the First Methodist Church and attended regularly until her illness prevented it.  This dear lady lived a full and demanding life before going to meet her maker.  God Bless Ry.

Ry is preceded in death by her youngest son, William Hagood Furlong and her granddaughter, Catalina Maria Furlong.

She is survived by her husband, Rear Admiral George M. Furlong; her son, Morgan Blakey Furlong Sr, (Terri) and her grandchildren, Morgan Blakey Furlong, Jr., Brandon Frederick Furlong (Elizabeth), Ryland Adriana Furlong and William Charles Furlong.

A memorial visitation will be from 1:00 pm until the memorial service begins at 2:00 pm on Sunday, July 10, 2022 at Harper-Morris Memorial Chapel. A graveside will be held at Barrancas National Cemetery on Monday, July 11, 2022 at 9:30 am.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the National  Naval Aviation Museum 1750 Radford Blvd, Pensacola, FL 32508.