Joseph V. Ferry
December 18, 1919 - January 20, 2015
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Joseph V. Ferry
December 18, 1919 - January 20, 2015
Obituary
Joseph V. Ferry passed away in Bellingham on Tuesday January 20, 2015 at 10:15 am. He was born on December 18, 1919 in Cambridge Massachusetts.
In his youth, Joe hitched rides, rode freight trains and pitched camps from Massachusetts to Mexico and back. He served in the Civilian Conservation Corps in New Hampshire working both as a clerk and in the field on various projects. In 1945 Joe graduated from Salem Teachers College and began his long career as a teacher. He started here in the U.S., teaching high school for 8 years in Vermont, Massachusetts and Connecticut.
Joe continued teaching with the Department of Defense as an education advisor for troops in post-occupation Japan for 4 and a half years, later guiding military dependents “on-base” as a high school teacher in Germany, France, Libya and Japan for 28 years.
During Joe’s remarkable, adventurous life of hitchhiking, train hopping, world travel and service, he drove stick shift, fought forest fires in Nevada and was able to type 50 wpm on a mechanical typewriter; he did all these things literally “singlehanded”- a congenital birth defect prevented the use of his right arm.
Joe was a dedicated husband, a devoted father, a great friend, and an inspiration to generations of students across the globe. Joe said the highlights of his life were: “the decades in the field of education in the US and abroad; the friends I made along the way; meeting and marrying my wonderful Japanese wife; and my daughter who was made in France, born in Libya and raised in Japan.”
His funeral service will be held on January 30th at 1pm at Moles Farewell Tributes – Greenacres at 5700 Northwest Drive in Ferndale, WA 98248.
Graveside Service
- Date & Time: January 30, 2015 (12:00 AM)
- Venue: Moles Farewell Tributes - Greenacres
- Location: 5700 Northwest Dr Ferndale, WA 98248 - (Get Directions)
18 responses to Joseph V. Ferry
Richard Goodrow says:
January 20, 2015
Ferry San & Kim (not Kimi – smile) – I just learned of the passing of Joe. What a gentleman. He was one of the first friends I made after arriving at Camp Zama in Dec 79. Our first house on base after Phyllis and I were married was 152-A, just across the street from the Ferry residence. In fact – our first off base residence in Zama-Shi was up the road from the Zama train station in the former Ferry house (Nakano San was the owner).
I recall when Joe was suffering from a severe pinched nerve under his shoulder blade and I would drive home to school in the old Nissan Caravan. Dam that was painful for him (and me). He, Dough Schulte, Bruce Derr and I were great friends back in the day.
Please accept my sincerest condolence and I apologize about my lateness. Please let me know what is happening in your lives.
Richard Goodrow
christine arrasate says:
January 20, 2015
Mr Ferry was a great teacher. It was a pleasure to know him at Zama High School. Even 30 years later I remember him very fondly. May he rest in peace.
Michele Barsodi - Takei says:
January 20, 2015
Dear Mrs. Ferry and family, I was employed at the Zama High School from 1974 until 1977 as a French and Spanish teacher during which time I worked with Joe on a major Zama Army Headquarters community – school project in 1975. It was during this lengthy preparation that I assisted Joe and he was a joy to work with during those months. I was always hurrying around doing this and that and he was always saying to me with a smile in Italian “Michele, piano, piano” meaning “slow down, slow down.”
Moreover, I always observed him to be helpful and understanding with the students in high school whenever I was in his room assisting him with the community project .
Please accept my deepest condolences and may you have a treasure chest of beautiful memories of him.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Michele Barsodi – Takei