Florence Ferrere

Florence Ferrere, 106 years and 6 months old, of Mountainside, passed away on October 10, 2020.
An amazing person, up until just three years ago, Florence was still shoveling snow and re-painting her garage floor. So what was the secret to her longevity ? While she ate lots of fruits and vegetables, and exercised a lot, Florence enjoyed eating cold cuts, meat, ice cream and candy, everything in moderation. She also didn't hold back with her opinions, so her internal stress was minimal.

Born in Italy, Florence came to America as a young girl. Having lived in Easton, PA, she then moved to Brooklyn, NY where she later married her husband Jack, and raised their two boys Joseph and Dennis.
During World War II, Florence worked as a Red Cross volunteer. As a young mother she suffered from a serious ear infection which almost took her life. Sometime later in her early thirties she fell down a flight of stairs in her apartment building and suffered a critical back injury. Her doctors said that she may never walk again. Not willing to accept this as her destiny, she eventually recovered through exercise, swimming, and sheer determination. In 1972, she and her husband moved to Mountainside, where they both worked for more than 15 years at the Childrens Specialized Hospital. Her husband Jack, who died in 1989 is memorialized on a special bench built in front of the hospital.

In her later years Florence was very active within the community of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, Mountainside, where she was a member of the Adoration Chapel. Recently she had been a resident of Brighton Gardens Assisted Living -where she was truly beloved by many of the staff members. Besides her husband Jack, Florence was also preceded in death in March of 2020 by her son: Joe. She is survived by her son, Dennis Ferrere, three grandchildren: Janis Ferrere, Ken Ferrere, Suzanne Norman (Andrew), and six great grandchildren: Chris Kowalczyk (Michele), Kelly, Stephanie, and Craig Ferrere, and Oliver and Calandra Norman. Florence will be sorely missed by friends and family alike.

Florence's Mass of the Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00AM Friday October 16, 2020 at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, Mountainside. Interment will follow at Fairview Cemetery, Westfield. Her visitation will be from 9:00-10:30AM Friday October 16th prior to her Mass at Gray Funeral Home, 318 E. Broad St. Westfield. Please go to: www.grayfuneralhomes.com to offer condolences.