Obituary of Francis A. Ferrara

Francis A. “Frank” Ferrara, a retired state of Massachusetts elevator inspector, passed away on Sunday night, September 29, 2024. He was 70 years old. Frank was born in Boston, the son of Mario Ferrara and Crocefissa (Bellavia) Ferrara. His father was first generation American with his parents coming from Sicily and his mother was an immigrant from Riesi, Italy. Frank had a wonderful childhood growing up in Burlington in a home filled with Italian traditions, values, and cooking. He was a member of the Burlington High School gymnastics team and a member of the BHS Class of 1972.

After graduating he enlisted in the US Navy. During his four years in the Navy, he was assigned to two aircraft carriers, The USS Constellation, which was a Kitty Hawk class supercarrier, and the USS America. He held the rank of Aviation Boatswain’s Mate. His role was on the flight deck operating and maintaining the aircraft launch and recovery equipment. The ships were deployed to Southeast Asia. One of the ports was the Naval Base Subic Bay in the Philippines. It was in Subic Bay that he first saw, not met, his future wife, Fe Agacoscos, where she was working just outside the base. It wasn’t until his return to Subic Bay a year later that he had the opportunity to meet the woman he only saw from afar. A romance quickly ensued, and the couple was married on March 17, 1975 in the Philippines. They recently celebrated their 49th wedding anniversary. Frank served four years during the Vietnam War and was recipient of the National Defense Service Medal and Vietnam Service Medal. He was very proud to have served his country. He was a past member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars council in Burlington and was always seen around town wearing his Vietnam Naval Veterans baseball cap.

After his military service, Frank went to work in construction with his father for Labor Union Local 151 and then for Otis Elevator Corporation and became a licensed elevator technician. He installed and maintained elevators all over the Boston area and Southern New Hampshire. He was extremely knowledgeable and was never rattled even when working in elevator shafts in skyscrapers in Boston. After his retirement from Otis, he went to work for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as an elevator inspector. He loved sharing his expertise, watching out for the safety of the public, as well as the elevator technicians. He finally retired in 2019.

You can’t think about Frank without talking about his love for classic automobiles. He was a “Chevy” guy. He restored and drove a 1967 Chevelle, 1969 Camaro, and his prized possession a 1967 Corvette Convertible, all of which he restored from the frame up. His garage was filled with all the tools necessary to restore his vehicles. It was also the gathering spot for his fellow car enthusiasts to hang out and talk about cars, repairs, and projects. He would take his cars to local car shows and meeting places in Burlington, Reading, Tewksbury, and other destinations as far as Loudon, NH. He loved talking about his cars, the work that went into them, but was also interested in and appreciated others’ restoration projects as well. He was also available with his tools in hand to help a family member or friend with a car problem. When his mobility was declining, he added a 2019 Corvette to his collection.

Frank was always true to his Italian values, which placed family first in everything. He and his wife Fe created a wonderful life together. After living in Wakefield for a short time he oversaw the design and construction of his first home in Burlington in 1986 where he and his wife raised their children through adulthood. In 2007, he and his wife decided to build another home in Burlington where they currently reside. He was a strong role model for his sons, showing them the importance of hard work, taking pride in whatever you do, following your passions, and always placing family first. Frank strived and succeeded in making sure his sons received college educations and the opportunity to thrive in their careers. He was so happy to become a grandfather and enjoyed every moment he spent with his grandchildren. You could often find Frank with his family cheering on his grandchildren at their respective sports and martial arts activities. Frank had a great life filled with family and following his dreams. He will forever hold a special place in the hearts of his family and friends.

Frank was the loving husband of Fe (Agacoscos) Ferrara. He was the proud father of Joseph Ferrara of Maynard and his late wife Katarzyna “Kasia” Bajson, and Christopher Ferrara and his wife Kristin (Spano) Ferrara of Reading. He was the brother of John Ferrara of Burlington, Joanne (Ferrara) Mills of Tewksbury, and Rosemarie Ferrara of Burlington. He was the proud grandfather of Autumn, Maxwell, Carmine, and Carina Ferrara of Reading. Frank was also survived by many nieces, nephews, cousins, and close friends.

Visiting hours will be held at the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn Street, Burlington on Friday, October 4 from 4 to 7 p.m. Funeral from Sullivan Funeral Home on Saturday, October 5 at 9am, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at St. Margaret Church in St. Veronica Parish, www.stveronicama.org, 111 Winn Street, Burlington at 10am. Services will conclude with a burial with military honors at Pine Haven Cemetery, Burlington. Memorials in Frank’s name may be made to The Wounded Warrior Project, support.woundedwarriorproject.org. For online guestbook and video tribute see www.sullivanfuneralhome.net