Obituary of Honor Patricia Ferree

Honor Patricia Coleman Ferree, 92, former longtime resident of Morris County, New Jersey, passed away Tuesday, October 16, 2018.  Beloved wife of the late Edwin Howard Ferree Sr.; loving mother of Tess Ferree (Jay) McDermott, Howard (Terry) Ferree Jr. and Denise Ferree (Joe) Smagowicz; cherished grandmother of Jenna (Aaron) Meinch, Brian (Joanna) Ferree and Kyle and Zach Smagowicz; great grandmother of 5; devoted identical twin sister of the late Teresa “Tess” Stem; fond aunt and great aunt of many.  

Honor was born in England and emigrated to the US in 1948.  As a teenager, Honor lived and worked through the horrific bombing of London during WWII.  Although a shy and retiring person, she found the courage to board a ship bound for the US all alone at the age of 21.  Honor’s twin sister, Tess, had already emigrated after she met and married an American soldier. Eventually, their parents, Frederick and Alice (Maycock) Coleman, joined them in America. Honor was very proud of her U.S. citizenship and never returned to England. Honor met her husband when he was a serviceman and she was a hospital volunteer at Fort Bragg, N.C.  Their marriage was broadcast from New York City on live television on a program called the Bride and Groom Show.  The family still cherishes the television video coverage of the wedding.

Honor was a kind and compassionate person with a deep love for all living creatures.  She was uncharacteristically outspoken about mistreatment of animals; she adopted a succession of dogs and cats from shelters over her lifetime.  Honor was an avid reader and a prolific letter writer, keeping loved ones informed and entertained.  Her letters to the editor were published in her local newspapers and in New York Magazine.  Her warm spirit and unique presence will be deeply missed.

A memorial gathering to celebrate Honor's life will be held on Saturday, November 3, 2018 from 1:00PM to 3:00PM with memorial service held at 2:00PM at the Madison Memorial Home, 159 Main Street, Madison, NJ.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA),  424 E. 92nd St., New York, NY 10128-6804, www.aspca.org or Friends of Randolph Animal Pound, Randolph Dept of Health, Attention: Randolph Regional Animal Shelter, 502 Millbrook Avenue, Randolph, NJ 07869, www.randolphregionalanimalshelter.org.

Condolences to the family may be made online by visiting our website at www.madisonmemorialhome.com