Obituary of James F. Ferrara

James F. Ferrara, of Hawley, PA, died peacefully following a brief illness at the age of 84. Born in Hawley in 1928, he was raised in Brooklyn, NY, where he fought as a Golden Gloves boxer and worked in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Jim proudly served in the U.S. Army, and while stationed in Germany, he met his future wife, Elfriede. They raised their family in Paupack, PA, and he was one of the area's earliest "Pennsylvania to New York" commuters. He worked as a court clerk at the Brooklyn Family Court and in 1972, received a citation from the New York City Police Commissioner for rescuing an elderly woman from a mugger and then capturing the suspect. He went on to be a senior court clerk for the Supreme Court of the State of New York in Brooklyn and retired in 1983. Following retirement, Jim volunteered for the Pike County Aging Office, driving the elderly to appointments and errands. He also worked part time as a Tipstaff for the Pike County Courthouse. Jim and Elfriede moved back to Hawley in 2006, not far from the house in which he was born. He was an avid bowler and spent many happy hours with his teams at Wallenpaupack Lanes. Jim also loved walking, travelling, relaxing at the Hawley Library and, especially, spending time with his grandchildren. Jim is survived by Elfriede, his beloved wife of 57 years; his children, Jim Ferrara and wife, Debbie, of North Yarmouth, ME; daughter, Ceil Ferrara Tuman and husband, Jim Tuman, of Croton-on-Hudson, NY; and daughter, Christina Ferrara Murray, of Hawley, PA. He leaves a loving legacy of eight grandchildren: Gabriella, James, Victoria, Alyssa, Rachel, Summer, Jackson, and Sofia. Visiting hours will be on Friday, November 9th, 2:00-4:00pm and 7:00-9:00pm at Teeter's Funeral Chapel in Hawley. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at BVM Queen of Peace Church, Hawley, on Saturday, November 10th, at 10:00am. Burial will be in B.V.M. Queen Of Peace Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Hawley Public Library.