Bruno A. Ferri

With great sadness the family of Bruno Ferri announce his passing on August 18th at the age of 87 years.

He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Julie (Polny), his two daughters, Christina Linaberry (Bob) and Leticia Ferri; nephews, Tullio Ferri (Susan Robinson) and Ron Ferri (Christina); as well as, several step-grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He is predeceased by his brother, Romano; sister-in-law, Edie and nephew, Raymond.

Bruno was born in the Bronx to Italian immigrants (Ester Barbalata and Luigi Ferri), graduated from City College of NY, and served in the Army. He began his career at New York Life Insurance Company in NYC and then transferred to Syracuse where he and Julie raised their family. He spent most of his career at American General Life Insurance Co. where he became VP of Underwriting and retired from there in 1998.
The family belonged to Christ the King church, where Bruno was a reader for many years. He was the ultimate jokester, and his often sophomoric sense of humor made him a hit with the neighborhood kids, who often referred to him as the 'fun dad'. Fittingly, April 1st was his favorite holiday when his family came to anticipate that year's prank.

This Bronx boy routed for the NY Mets but considered Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox the greatest baseball player ever. He instilled his love of sports in his daughter, Leticia, and they played together on a co-ed softball team for many years. True to his comic nature, he often told people he once played second base for the Yankees. He also was known to tell people he was Bruce Springsteen's uncle. He enjoyed all types of music, from Sinatra and Pavarotti to the Beatles and his 'nephew', Springsteen. He and his daughter, Christina, took guitar lessons together and he was so dedicated in practicing that he often dozed off with the guitar in his hands. He watched classic movies and was an avid reader, although he could never quite keep on top of the weekly issues of The New Yorker, which would accumulate in piles around the house. He enjoyed golf and softball, both of which he played well into his 70's. He loved Italian food, and no matter how full he professed to be, always had room for one more meatball.

Bruno always had an enthusiasm for life but it especially was notable in his later years where his positive attitude persisted, even as his health was diminishing. He often suggested that his epitaph should read "he laughed all the way".

Services will be private and a celebration of life will be held on a later date. New Comer Cremations and Funerals is handling the arrangements. To leave a special message for the family, please visit www.newcomersyracuse.com. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be given to Food Bank of Central New York.

The family would be honored if you would do an unexpected and unsolicited act of kindness for someone less fortunate in Bruno's memory.
The family extends its sincere appreciation to the doctors, nurses and staff at Elderwood of Liverpool for their exceptional and compassionate care. The staff made Bruno feel like a rockstar, which provided much comfort to his family.

To share a memory of Bruno or to leave a message for the family, please visit the guestbook below.