John Ferraro Obituary

Ferraro, Dr. John R. Age 99, a longtime resident of Elmhurst, IL, passed away on August 25, 2017. He was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Sicilian immigrants Charles and Jennie Ferraro. He was preceded in death by his loving wife, Mary (nee Leo) in 2014. He is survived by his son, Lawrence (Gayl); daughters, Janice (Dennis) Ross and Victoria (Ed) Walsh; seven grandchildren, Michael (Robyn) Ferraro, Daniel (Jessica) Ferraro, Julia (Michael) Castor, Jonathan Geihsler, Alyssa (Brian) Holaday, Timothy (fiancée Taylor Steger) Walsh and Brian Walsh; and six great-grandchildren, Emma Ferraro, Madeline and Andrew Ferraro, Samuel and Zachary Castor, and Nora Holaday. John had three great loves: God, his family, and education.He reflected the character of his Creator, Savior and Lord Jesus Christ to his family and others through his kind heart, passionate mind, and generous spirit. John served in WWII with the Army Air Force in the China-Burma-India Theatre from 1942-1945. He received his BS from Illinois Institute of Technology (1941), his MS from Northwestern University (1948), and his PhD from Illinois Institute of Technology (1954) in the field of Chemistry. His professional career began in 1942 with Kankakee Arsenal, Kankakee, IL, as an explosive Chemist. After the war, in 1948, John became a Senior Scientist at Argonne National Laboratory, and later was a special Team Facility Appointee. John received the Searle Professor of Chemistry appointment at Loyola University in Chicago in 1990. He was adjunct Professor at the University of Arizona in the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, and spent sabbatical years at the University of Florence and the University of Rome, Italy. John was visiting Professor at the University of Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy, the University of Peking, China, and the University of Aachen, Germany. John retired from Argonne National Laboratory after 57 years, and was given the title of Professor Emeritus from Loyola University of Chicago. Visitation Monday, September 4, from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Ahlgrim Funeral Home, 567 Spring Rd., Elmhurst, IL. Funeral services for Dr. Ferraro will be begin with Prayers at the funeral home 9:00 a.m. Tuesday, September 5, 2017 going to Immaculate Conception Church where a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 9:30 a.m. Entombment Queen of Heaven Mausoleum, Hillside, IL. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, P.O. Box 1000, Dept. 142, Memphis, TN 38148-0142, or Northwestern University Wildcat Fund, Attn: David Solow, 1201 Davis St., Evanston, IL 60208. Funeral info 630-834-3515 or www.ahlgrim.com.