Rose Marie Ferraro Ford

Our "sweet and lovable" mother, Rose Marie Ferraro Ford, a devout Catholic, passed away on January 11, 2018 at the age of 97. Rose was predeceased by her husband of 50 years, Edward Ford, her infant daughter, Rosemarie, and her brother, Joseph Ferraro. Rose was born on October 17, 1920 in Lagonegro, Italy, to Biase and Filomena Ferraro. The tale of her crossing the Atlantic, helping to hide a stowaway, and entering the United States through Ellis Island is detailed in her first book, "Stories My Mother Told Me". Rose graduated third in her class at Union Endicott High School, and in her fifties, earned an Associates Degree from Daytona Beach Community College with straight A's and was inducted into Phi Theta Kappa. Rose's children, Edward Ford (Mary Ann), Kathleen Bowrosen (Richard), Mary Cichy (Raymond), Francis Ford, Jeannette Ford, and Barbara Koch (Warren), 15 grand children and 26 great grand children and a host of nieces, nephews, and friends mourn her loss and celebrate her long life. Rose taught Sunday School at St. Paul's Church for a number of years and together with her husband, volunteered in a Prison Ministry and generously sponsored both a Vietnamese refugee family and a promising young Chinese student who emigrated to the USA and successfully realized the American Dream. She especially loved her work teaching adults to read through the Volusia Literacy Council. Rose remained independent, drove well into her eighties, was active in her church, and travelled to Mexico, Japan, Russia, Peru, Portugal, China, Thailand, Singapore, and Australia. Rose was a regular at the Port Orange YMCA water aerobics classes. A memorial Mass for Rose will be celebrated at 8:30 AM on Tuesday, January 30th, 2018, at Our Lady of Hope Catholic Church, 4675 S. Clyde Morris Blvd., Port Orange, FL. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Volusia County Literacy Council, 826 White St., Daytona Beach, FL 32117.