Albert "Al" A. Ferraro, Jr.

Albert Anthony Ferraro, Jr., 85, of Narragansett, passed away on March 19, 2022. Devoted and loving husband of Maryann (Fiore) Ferraro for 57 and half years. Born in South Kingstown, he was the son of the late Alberto and Lauretta (DeSimone) Ferraro. After graduation from South Kingstown High School, Al served in the US Marine Corps Reserve from 1955-1959 while attending URI. He completed his studies at URI in 1959 where he was recognized as a Distinguished Military Graduate and served as the ROTC Cadet Colonel during his senior year. In July of 1959 Al was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the US Army. He served on active duty from 1959 – 1963 attaining the rank of Captain in the Cold and Vietnam Wars. While on active duty he was stationed in Mannheim, Germany with the 1st Battle Group/18TH Infantry and was a member of the task force which reinforced Allied troops during the Berlin Crisis in August 1961. He was mentioned in the book “About Face” by Lt. Col. David Hackworth, a former company commander. He also served in the 101st Airborne Division. He was the Principal at Westerly High School for 26 years, then after retiring he was the owner of Gibson Realty and Al Ferraro Construction for 16 years. He was also a longtime volunteer for the Narragansett Little League as a coach and board member. In June of 1989 Al was inducted into the Knights of Rockingham Arch by the Narragansett Town Council for unselfishly serving the community. He also served on the building committee supervising the construction of the Narragansett Pier School. He started running with his dogs while he was a principal to de-stress, which lead to running the Blessing of the Fleet for more than 20 years. He was still playing tennis and golf twice a week with his buddies and riding his bike at 83 years old. He loved wildlife, especially owls, which he would see on his runs down Kinney Ave and around his yard. He had a special place in his heart for dogs, rescuing them and giving them a home and long lives. Time spent in nature, his beautiful yard, the seawall, Boon Street Park was were he was most at peace up until his last days. He enjoyed hosting cookouts and parties with his family and friends, grilling until the last burger & saugy was done. He had a gift of always making everyone feel welcome and part of the family. He enjoyed his retirement years with his wife in Florida, playing tennis, golf, bike riding, having family and friends visit and making new friends. His gardens in Narragansett were amazing and he loved sharing vegetables with everyone. He was involved in the community, a great listener and lent a helping hand whenever he could. Once Al considered you a friend, you were a friend for life. Al will be remembered by many for always bringing donuts and muffins to his appointments. He loved dancing with his family and friends, always the first on and last off the dance floor, especially to James Brown’s “I Feel Good”. He was the loving father of Alena Ferraro of Wakefield, Alisa Ferraro Mahoney and her husband Thomas of Wakefield, Amia (Ferraro) Williams and her husband Steven of California, proud Papa to Joseph and John Mahoney and grand-dogs Yogi & Shika. He was brother-in-law to John Fiore and his wife Lorraine and uncle to nieces Dina (Fiore) Schafer, Heather Fiore and Danielle Fiore. He was loved by many as Uncle Al and Coach Ferraro. He was also a friend, mentor and confidant to many others. He was a lifelong member of Vietnam Veterans of America, 101st Airborne Division, Veterans of Foreign War, Military Officers of America, Rhode Island Military Officers of Foreign Wars, RI Principals Association, South County Italian American Club, Gibson Avenue Association, Oceanside Village Association and South Kingstown Elks. In Lieu of flowers, donations can be made to one of the following in Al’s memory: Lewy Body Dementia (LBD): The lack of knowledge of LBD by the medical profession and the public in general make the journey very difficult for people with LBD and their caregivers. This group was a primary resource that helped Al’s family and Care team to understand and provide him with the best care possible. They are raising funds to create informational material to raise awareness and provide support for people affected by LBD. https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-the-lewy-body-roller-coaster Welcome House of South County: to continue Al’s passion for the less fortunate. https://www.welcomehouseofsouthcounty.org/donate Ukraine: Al was a strong advocate of fighting for freedom and peace. https://www.americares.org Animal Rescue RI: Al was a lifelong supporter and adopted most of his pets from the Animal Rescue League. https://www.animalrescueri.org A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Thursday, March 24, 2022 at 10am in St. Thomas More Church, 53 Rockland St., Narragansett. Visiting hours will be held Wednesday, March 23, 2022 from 4-7pm in Avery-Storti Funeral Home, 88 Columbia St., Wakefield. Burial will be private. The family would like to invite the public to join them at the Elks Lodge, 60 Belmont Ave in Wakefield, following the mass from 12-4pm.