Barbara Ann (Corrigan) Ferullo passed away on Thursday, July 7, 2011 at 5:30pm in her home in the company of her family, grandchildren and the Rev. Dr. Richard Clancy who stayed by her side for the duration of her entire last day. She had a courageous 18-month battle with Pulmonary Fibrosis, which was diagnosed on January 3, 2010.
The wife of Dr. Professor Robert J. Ferullo, Barbara was 78 years old. She was born and raised in Woburn and graduated from Woburn High School with the class of 1950 in which she was a cheerleader. She then attended Lawrence Memorial School of Nursing in Medford from which she graduated in 1953. She became a surgical nurse there for many years, followed by ten years as a registered nurse at the Fairlawn Nursing Home in Lexington, MA and was a volunteer nurse at the Woburn Board of Health flu clinics.
Barbara is survived by her husband of 54 years, Dr. Robert, a Professor Emeritus, Northeastern University, her two sons; Lieutenant Robert J. Ferullo Jr. Esq. of the Woburn Police Department and his wife Mary Beth Mawn, Esq. and Mark J. Ferullo Vice President of Rizzy Home Furnishings and his wife Michelle of Woburn; her two daughters; Karen Jeanne Smith of the City of Woburn’s Treasurer/Collector’s Office and her husband Joseph of Woburn and Barbara Joan Henry, a pharmacist and her husband William of Reading, MA; she is further survived by Mary Ellen Corrigan Cocks and her husband Gordon of West Boylston; her special niece, Sue Collins and her husband Dr. Joseph of Melbourne, Florida and many other nieces and nephews.
“Nan” Ferullo is further survived by eight grandchildren, all boys; Joseph Robert Smith, a 2011 graduate of Harvard University where he was a member of both the men’s varsity ice hockey team and varsity baseball team; Brian Smith, a senior at Boston College where he has excelled in Track & Field and who is currently an intern with the Boston Bruins and New England Revolution; Timothy Ferullo, a junior at Assumption College and an avid golfer Robert Joseph Smith, an outstanding Track & Field and hockey star for Woburn Memorial High School and a freshman at Stonehill College; William Henry, a junior at Reading Memorial High School, a rock-climber and missionary in Peru; Robert Joseph Ferullo, III a freshman at Boston College High School and Thomas Ferullo, a student at the John F. Kennedy Middle School and both brothers are avid baseball and hockey players; and James Henry, a sixth-grade student who is an aspiring baseball player, musician and thespian.
Barbara was predeceased by her parents, James Francis Corrigan and Honora (Mooney) Corrigan, and her brother, James G. Corrigan.
Barbara was an avid reader and gardener who enjoyed knitting, crocheting and sewing in her earlier years and particularly loved making her grandchildren’s various holiday costumes. She was well known for her ability to keep her outdoor pool spotless for her grandsons to enjoy. She was an avid sports fan her entire life, dating back to the days when her daughter Karen was an All-Scholastic and State Champion field hockey player at Woburn High School and her son Mark excelled at baseball during his years at Northeastern University. In more recent years, Barbara became a devoted fan of college baseball, hockey and track & field and followed the sports religiously. She thoroughly enjoyed rooting for her eight grandsons who played hockey, baseball, track and football and participated in more extreme sports such as rock climbing. She enjoyed speaking at length with each of her grandchildren about their various athletic and academic accomplishments and discussing their future goals. She and her husband traveled great distances to watch their grandsons’ academic and athletic achievements. She also followed the Red Sox, Bruins and Celtics on a regular basis and celebrated their World Championships with her grandsons as a long-time season ticket holder for each team.
Barbara enjoyed traveling all over the world, including to Italy, Vermont, California, Hawaii, Aruba, Nashville and Las Vegas. She was a conservative, quiet and reserved personality who enjoyed shopping and following sales with her family. In her final years she became an astute player with her iPad, playing Words with Friends, Angry Birds and other computer games while also Tweeting and sending e-mails to keep in touch with her many friends and loved ones. She had joined contemporary culture with ease.
Funeral Services will be held from the McLaughlin - Dello Russo Funeral Home, 60 Pleasant St., Woburn, on Monday, July 11th, at 9:30 a.m. followed by a funeral mass concelebrated in St. Charles Church, 280 Main St., Woburn, at 10:30 a.m. by Rev. Arthur MacKay, Rev. Dr. Richard Clancy, Rev. Hugh Desmond, Rev. John McLaughlin and Rev. Leo X. Lynch. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend. Visiting Hours at the McLaughlin – Dello Russo Funeral home will be held on Sunday, July 10th, from 4 thu 8 p.m. Services will conclude with burial at Calvary Cemetery, Woburn.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to be made in Barbara’s memory to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, 811 W. Evergreen Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60642 or donate online at PulmonaryFibrosis.org.