When Marc Furtick finished college, he had a decision to make: get drafted or enlist in the U.S. Armed Forces. He chose the latter, opting to control his destiny by joining the Air Force, where he trained as a pilot. His excellent flight record during the Vietnam War led to a career in aviation for the Bronx native. After flying with a small Anchorage-based air carrier, Marc joined Alaska Airlines (AA) in 1983. He relocated to Seattle, a move that proved popular with his wife and teenage daughter.
“I met my wife Monica, who was from Berlin, in California, where I worked in a flight school,” he says. “I then relocated to Alaska at the start of the summer when it was quite pleasant. My wife and daughter joined me in the fall when it was starting to get cold and dark. They were thrilled when we returned to the Lower 48.”
Marc began his career as a flight engineer with AA, earning the right co-pilot chair after just one year. He advanced to the left captain’s chair five years later.
Traveling the world
“We were a small company at the time. We only flew to San Francisco and Portland. Then, all of a sudden, the expansion began,” he says. “I never imagined I’d fly to New York City or, for that matter, anywhere east of the Rockies. I also enjoyed flying the charters. We flew all the Pac-10 teams, including the Huskies, to the Rose Bowl when they were the best team in the country. We would get tickets to the game when we flew the Seahawks. We’d have to leave at the end of the third quarter to prepare the plane for our return to Seattle.”
Marc and his family also enjoyed exploring the world, often starting in Germany. Partial to Switzerland, they also made memorable trips to New Zealand and Naples, Italy, where they rented a friend’s condo for eight weeks.
“We visited Pompeii and other tourist attractions,” he says. “But we also lived like locals, eating at neighborhood restaurants and shopping for groceries. We were married for 49 years before Monica passed away in May of last year, five days before her 80th birthday.”
Marc remained in their Auburn home for a year before deciding to research senior living communities. He chose Wesley at Tehaleh for its access to nature, among other reasons.
“I honestly checked out every option,” he says. “I attended an open house and favored this campus immediately. I liked its remoteness. So many trees and trails. My wife and I were both big city people, but I didn’t want to live in a big city. Every time I visited Tehaleh, I found the people friendly and inviting. Plus, it’s not too far from my neighbors in Auburn and my daughter and grandson in Renton.”
Lifelong baseball fan
At 76 years old, Marc remains active in a local baseball league, where he plays outfield and maintains a batting average above .400. He learned about the area’s adult baseball leagues in an unusual way.
“I never played baseball as a kid; I played football,” he says. “I was flying from Anchorage to Seattle, and my copilot asked if we could speed up a little because he was trying to make a baseball game. I assumed he meant the Mariners, but I learned he had his own game to play. I gave it a try, and now I manage our team.”
Like most kids from the Bronx, Marc grew up a Yankees fan.
“I grew up in a housing project,” he says. “I was 12 when Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris were battling to beat Babe Ruth’s home run record. We would take the subway to the games. I converted to the Mariners some time ago.”
Theater anyone?
When Marc isn’t rounding the bases, you can find him attending musicals at the 5th Avenue Theater. He cites Chicago, My Fair Lady, and Camelot among his favorite productions. He also subscribes to the Auburn Symphony.
“I like Camelot because it’s a love story with a twist,” he says. “There’s plenty to keep me busy here at The Brownstone, also. I do a lot of puzzling, play trivia on Mondays and walk the trails with other residents. We also have a social hour on Fridays, which I greatly enjoy. Some of us hope to turn it into a game night. I also try to hit the gym most days.”
Ready for his close up
There’s no doubt he remains fit to maintain his batting average. Marc has also appeared in a pair of Wesley ads. It wasn’t his first time in front of the camera.
“I made a commercial for Alaska Airlines once,” he says. “It was an amusing spot. A pilot, a copilot, a flight attendant and a mechanic all talking about what we did as kids. We had to walk across a ramp. It wasn’t even 15 seconds of fame, more like five seconds, but fun. The airline made giant posters of us that hung at SeaTac. My wife made me keep it when they took it down.” As often as Marc is on the move, he says he feels at home at Wesley, where he appreciates the personal touches and the sense of security within the community. Like that kid on the subway in 1961, Marc still attends baseball games. Only now he hopes to see Cal Raleigh break Micky Mantle’s record for home runs by a switch-hitter.