Rev. Robert D. Ferry

Knock on Reverend Robert Ferrys door, and youd hear a bellowing, Whos breaking into my house?! Always finding small things to amuse himself and others, Robert was a fun-loving, sweet man with a penchant for hard work. He was a family man, deeply devoted to the ones he loved, and he truly cared for the well-being of others. The year 1941 was a momentous year in the nations history. With the world at war, America was ever-changing. Women were flooding the workplace like never before, filling in for men who had gone off to fight. Penicillin was invented, which drastically improved health, but in the same year the bombing of Pearl Harbor took place, and shook the nation. The American people banded together to get through these hard times. In the midst of all this, Richard and Phyllis Ferry welcomed into the world a beautiful baby boy, Robert. One of six children, Robert had four older brothers: Dick, Fred, John and Bill, and one younger sister, Bonnie. The family started out in Muskegon but moved to many different places, until Robert eventually moved to New York and " lived with his brothers Dick and Ron ". During school, Robert got involved with track and baseball, and naturally excelled at both. Following his graduation from East Meadow High School in 1959, he got married and joined the Army in 1960. Although Robert and his first wife were divorced some years later, they had two wonderful children, Sharon and Robbie. His children brought endless joy into his world, and he cared for them greatly. Robert continued to work for the Army as an x-ray technician until his discharge in 1966. After his position there ended, he worked in several different places. He worked as an x-ray technician in Pennsylvania, was an insurance salesman, a shoe salesman and a store manager. In 1971 he started his own pizza shop in New Jersey, which he called The Italian Scene. Robert Ferry was, indeed, a jack of all trades. When he met Lynda Kuhn, he was instantly smitten. It was love at first sight, like a romantic film turned into real life. They were married in 1975 and had three beautiful children: Chris, Jeanine and Heather, who cherished their Daddy. Roberts tender manner and caring ways was infectious, and their family was one of love and support. After a while, he sold his pizza shop and opened Enviromed which became a mobile hearing-test company, dedicated to providing people with early identification of hearing loss, and procedures and aides that assist with hearing. After this business disbanded, he became a longshoreman in Pennsylvania. Later, Robert suffered permanent damage to his back and leg, and as a result chose to become a stay-at-home dad for his growing children. This was easily one of the best decisions of his life, and they became years he would treasure. The family moved back to Michigan in 1990. After Bob and his family made this monumental move to Michigan, Bob fulfilled God's calling to ministry. He was ordained at Christ Community Congregational Church of North Muskegon. Familiar with the idea of starting from scratch, he planted Emmanuel Congregational Church in Twin Lake, Michigan in 2000. Here he was a beloved leader of the church, and was able to reach many people through his dedication to his religion. Some of his proudest moments were when he was able to bring people to Christ. When Bob became a grandfather for the first time, to his granddaughter Alexandria, he was giddy with excitement. And when he got to be Pop Pop to three more: Trevor, Sydney and Xavier, he was even more thrilled. Robert was always close with his family. His wife, mother, siblings, children and grandchildren all had very special places in his big, loving heart. Robert enjoyed the simple things in life: Singing, golfing, his big brother, Fred's condo in Ocean City, Maryland. He delighted in spaghetti and meatballs, Twinkies, and made the best pasties around. When it came time for the holiday parades, you wouldn't catch Robert missing out. Time spent with family and little pleasures, made him a happy man. In 2008, he and Lynda went to Jamaica on a cruise, and after having such a wonderful time they tried it again, this time bringing the family and heading to the Bahamas. Unfortunately, this trip did not go as smoothly. Lynda broke her foot, Robert found himself in the ship's infirmary for a day, and to top it off, when they came home, they found their car had been totaled! Despite these setbacks, the family found great humor in their mishaps and were able to create great memories. Through it all, and true to form, Robert kept his spirits high through the ordeal, though his heath began to decline. Reverend Robert D. Ferry died Monday, September 5th, 2011. Robert is survived by his loving wife, Lynda; children, Robert Gaton Ferry and Sharon Hammes of New York, Chris , Jeanine and Heather Ferry of Muskegon. He leaves behind four beautiful grandchildren; brothers, Richard Ferry of Muskegon, Fred Ferry of Maryland, Bill (Barb) Ferry of New York; sister, Bonnie (Glenn) Knapp and sister-in-law, Barbara Ferry of Connecticut; in-laws, Robert (Joyce) Kuhn of Colorado; many nieces, nephews, other relatives, many friends and Wednesday lunch buddy, Mike (Terri) Forward. He was preceded in death by his parents and brother, John. MEMORIAL SERVICE Thursday, September 8, 2011, 4:00 PM at First Evangelical Lutheran Church with Rev. Bill Uetricht officiating. Dinner and fellowship to follow the service at the church. MEMORIAL: Muskegon Rescue Mission. To read more about Robert's life, to leave your own memory of him and to sign his guest book, visit his web page at www.lifestorynet.com.