Christopher Ferrante Obituary

Christopher "Chris" Ferrante, of Rockport, Massachusetts, died on Saturday, May 27 at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston following a long, and courageous battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his immediate family and loved ones when he succumbed to the disease. He was 56 years old.

Chris is survived by his wife Laura, formerly Laura Tumbiolo of Gloucester, MA; his son Christopher and his fiancée Jenna Wedekind of Rockport; his son Jonathan and his partner Samantha Trullo of Rockport; his sister Nancy Maguire of Hollywood, FL; his brother Michael of Essex, MA; his brother Daniel of Newport, ME; his brothers-in-law Joseph and Matthew Tumbiolo of Gloucester and Boynton Beach, FL respectively; and his sister-in-law Marsha Sloane of Rockport.

Born on June 27, 1966, Chris grew up in the Mattapan and Hyde Park neighborhoods of Boston. A graduate of Matignon High School, Cambridge, MA; Chris earned a business management degree from North Shore Community College in Beverly, MA; followed by additional training in computer science and technology. Chris was employed at Dassault Systèmes of Waltham, MA for over twenty years as a senior systems and software engineer.

As a child and teenager, Chris would come to Rockport with his family for summer vacations on Long Beach. Following his marriage to Laura in 1987 he made Rockport his home. He loved the ocean and all its inherent beauty, power, and resources. He was a talented surfer and a superb fisherman and enjoyed spending time on his boat in the waters off Cape Ann. During the summer, Chris would spend many days at Long Beach, just steps away from his home on Thatcher Road, enjoying the company of family and friends and sipping margheritas.

Along with his stunning, sky-blue eyes, Chris had a beautiful smile, and a quiet, yet contagious laugh. He relished a good cup of coffee and great food of all varieties, especially home cooked meals. Chris also greatly enjoyed music, movies, and television, and he possessed remarkable recall for actors' roles throughout their careers.

But among his family and friends, Chris will always be remembered for his tenacious, unwavering willpower to conquer his cancer, and his ability to allow and encourage all those he loved, and all those who witnessed his ordeal to draw strength from his determination.

When first diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2006 Chris recovered only to be stricken with a different form of cancer four years later. He battled through rigorous and difficult treatments and kept his cancer at bay until January of 2022 when he was diagnosed with an aggressive sarcoma. For the past sixteen months, Chris once again fought valiantly, and his medical team did everything in their power to assist him through his most grueling encounter with cancer.

My father loved his family with his heart and soul, and like a compass always points true north, he was consistently a pillar of strength and perseverance, said his oldest son, Chris.

And son Jonathan said, "My father was one of the most selfless souls and he left a lasting impression on everyone he encountered. He won the hearts of his entire medical team with his positivity, humor, and kindness in an otherwise dreadful situation. Above all my father will be remembered for his undeniable strength and courage which served as a beacon of hope for our family.".

And his wife Laura had these heartfelt words. "Chris was truly my best friend, my constant companion and the love of my life and I will find solace and peace in the memories of our time together," she said.

To honor Chris, a funeral service will be held on June 7, 2023, in St. Ann's Church, Holy Family Parish, at 10 am, 74 Pleasant Street, Gloucester, MA. Family and friends are cordially invited. No visiting hours are planned prior to the service. A collation will immediately follow the funeral service and will be held at the Elks Lodge, 101 Atlantic Avenue, Gloucester. Burial will be held privately.

In memory of Chris contributions can be made to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center online in memory of the Ferrante Family at http://www.bidmc.org, or by check payable to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center with Ferrante Family-Reisman 11 in the check memo.

Arrangements are by the Greely Funeral Home, 212 Washington St. Gloucester.