Carol Ferris

Carol V. Ferris Carol Virginia Ferris, age 84 of Arlington, Virginia passed peacefully in her sleep on July 8, 2013. Carol was born September 1, 1928 in Cushing, Oklahoma to Earl K. and Annie N. Odom, sister to Kent Odom, Don Odom and Connie Sharp. She graduated from Cushing HS in 1946 and attended Phillips University to study nursing. Prior to joining the Army, she worked as a nurse in Kansas and Missouri. From 1953 to 1955 she served as an operating room nurse in the Army Nurse Corps during which time she was stationed in Texas, Florida, Colorado, California, Japan, Hong Kong, China and finally, Sapporo, Japan. Carol married then Lt. Gordon Frank Ferris on the island of Hokkaido, Japan in 1955 and was transferred to Honshu, Japan where she joined the Army Reserves from 1955 to 1957. She took up her second career as the wife of an Army officer and mother of four, keeping herself and everyone together while moving 20 times in 23 years (including three times in Germany during the early '70's). The moves took her family from California, Georgia, Alabama (2 times), Oklahoma (3 times), Minnesota, Nebraska, Kansas, Virginia (3 times) and Germany. Her duties doubled during the three extended tours that took her husband to Vietnam, Iran and Saudi Arabia, requiring her to be both mother and father to four children. She divorced and in 1973 returned to work on her third career as a nurse in the Washington DC area, later moving to Oklahoma to be near her family. She worked at the Veterans Administration in Oklahoma City, volunteering with Meals on Wheels. She suffered a subarachnoid cerebral hemorrhage in 1991, and had a remarkable recovery (most attribute her survival to having directed her son Mark to take her to the most capable hospital as opposed to the closest hospital). Though she was never quite the same, she recovered well enough to live independently and retired to Culpepper Garden in Arlington, VA where she resided for over twenty years. Preceded in death by her third son, Mark Wayne Ferris who passed in 2011,she is survived by her sister Connie Sharp of Midwest City, OK, and sons Ronald P. Ferris of Canfield, OH, and Gordon D. Ferris of Lakewood, CO, daughter Connie E. Ferris of Manassas, VA and seven grandchildren: Ronald G. Ferris of Youngstown, OH, USN Lt. David L. Ferris of Bremerton, WA, Kristin Greenwood of Chicago, IL, Melissa Ferris of Fort Collins, CO, Rick Patoray of Nashville, TN, Gordon F. Ferris II of Lakewood, CO and Allison Ferris of Lakewood, CO. Carol attended National City Christian Church in Washington DC and when she was unable to drive, enjoyed attending services at Culpepper Garden, especially when communion was served. She had a beautiful singing voice and enjoyed singing religious hymns. One of Carol's greatest prides (apart from her magnificent children and grand children) was her service in the Army. She was a regular supporter and contributor at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial. Her world travels provided many unique stories who's titles such as: "The time I was crushed in a crowd at the 1972 Munich Olympics", "The time I cared for the lone military survivor of a typhoon ferryboat disaster", "The time that I was one of 3 University students sent home to write an essay about an un-chaperoned and unauthorized off campus excursion" leave us wanting more details. The family will receive friends on Friday, July 12, 2013 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Pierce Funeral Home, 9609 Center Street, Manassas, VA. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, July 13, 2013 at 2:00 PM at First Christian Church of Alexandria, 2723 King Street, Alexandria, VA. Interment will be private.

Carol Ferris

September 1, 1928 - July 8, 2013