Wesley Furumoto

THE ICE MAN COMETH HOME

You’re touring the kitchen at the Hilton Hotel downtown. There is a loud grating sound coming from the back room. Nobody else seems to notice. What is that racket? Your curiosity takes you further into the kitchen, and as you finally locate and approach the source of the loud buzzing in your ears, you are astonished at the sight. A gorgeous crystalline eagle is perched at eye level before you, with wings at full spread and head bowed for take-off. You marvel at the sight and know immediately that the horrendous buzzing is Chef Wesley Furumoto’s chain saw, and the eagle is yet another incredible work of art carved in 20 minutes from a 300 pound block of ice. The Ice Man has, once again, done his magic.
Wesley Furumoto, Gard Manger Chef at the Netherland Hilton Hotel in downtown Cincinnati, passed away Friday morning October 2 as a result of a recent traffic accident. He was 64 years old, and leaves a son, Eric Furumoto, a grandson, Isaac Furumoto, a granddaughter Analeigh Furumoto, as well as a brother Clyde Furumoto and a sister Karen Hiranaka, both of Kauai, Hawaii where Wesley grew up and apprenticed under Chef Nishi at the Coco Palms Hotel. The world will not only miss Wesley’s amazing food and ice sculptures, but will also mourn him for the wonderful father, grandfather, brother, uncle, co-worker and friend that he was to so many.
Visitation will be held at the Linnemann Funeral Home on Burlington Pike on Friday, October 9 from 3:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m., followed by a brief service and flag ceremony to celebrate Welsey’s service to his country as an Airborne Ranger during the Viet Nam War.
While we here on earth will miss the sound of Wesley’s chain saw, and the gorgeous results he got when mixing hard work, a creative eye and a block of ice, we are certain that right now Heaven is an even more gorgeous place than before, now that the Ice Man has come home.

Cherie Abeyta