Obituary of Elsie I. Ferro

Elsie Leonard Ferro, devoted wife, mother and grandmother, passed away peacefully on February 10. She was born January 20, 1942 to the late Harold and Lola Barnes Leonard. A lifelong local resident, she grew up in East Homer, was a cheerleader at Truxton School, and remained close to her classmates. She married Salvatore "Sam" Ferro in 1959, had three children, Salvatore (Dorothy), Anthony (Donna), and Sabrina Clark (Mark); six grandchildren Cody and Lia Ferro; Dominick and Vincent Ferro; and Jacqueline and Jordan Clark. She is also survived by her dear siblings Beverly Sprouse, Carolyn Aldrich, Nancy Smith, Harold and Richard Leonard. She was Cub Scout Den Leader, Girl Scout Leader and second "Mom" to many. After learning accounting at TC3, she worked as bookkeeper for Cortland Rental. She also served as County Election Inspector for over thirty years. A life member of the YWCA, she served on their Board and in the Re Fa So service group. She was also a member of the Moose lodge auxiliary. Her activism helped get Superfund classification for the Wickwire site, protecting our community's water supply. Elsie passionately devoted her later years to local Republican Committees, and was City Chairperson from 2016 until her passing. Travels throughout the U.S. with her husband and children took her to historical sites and distant relatives. Fiercely proud of her family's roots, she researched genealogy, connected with cousins throughout the country, and co-founded the Cortland County Genealogical Society. Her parties and events for family, friends and organizations as well as her cooking, baking, gardening and holiday decorating will be missed by all. Calling hours are Friday 4–7pm at Wright Beard Funeral Home, with funeral mass at St Mary's Church, 10 am Saturday. Burial will follow in St. Mary's Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Alyssa's Toy Box Fund 02550, c/o Upstate Foundation, 750 E Adams St, CAB326, Syracuse, NY 13210.