Albert Ferri
July 17, 1944 ~ March 21, 2025
Born in:
Queens, NY
Resided in:
St. James , NY
Albert Ferri, 80, of Saint James, NY, succumbed to ALS on March 21, 2025 after a valiant three-year battle. Al was a devoted husband, father, grandfather and brother, a kind and compassionate friend and a talented and ambitious ABC News employee with an amazing total of 53 years with the company. He was born in Jackson Heights, Queens on July 17, 1944 and dedicated his life to family, career and community. Al graduated from Plainedge High School and briefly attended SUNY Farmingdale before landing an entry level position at ABC. He eventually became a supervising editor for Good Morning America and will be remembered for his integrity, ingenuity, adaptability and communication skills, all of which he has chronicled in his book, MY ABC STORY. In his younger days, Al served his community by participating in the auxiliary police department in his Massapequa neighborhood. He was an avid reader and a sports car enthusiast with a prized 2016 metallic gray Corvette and was a member of the Long Island Corvette Owner’s Association. Upon retirement, he was thrilled to be able to join LICOA and be around beautiful cars while making new friends. Retirement also afforded the opportunity for travel to favorite spots such as France, St. Croix and Disney with wonderful friends. He is survived by his loving family, his wife, Connie Ferri; his children, Mandy Arwen, Joseph Wallach, Jonathan Ferri, Jamie Vaughn; and his grandchildren, Joshua and Matthew Hegvik, Kevin Wallach, Gabriella and Donavan Ferri, Carter Vaughn and Madelyn Ferri. Funeral service will be held Wednesday, March 26, 2025. In lieu of flowers, donations to ALS United in Al’s name are welcome.
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Services
Visitation: Tuesday, March 25, 2025 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Branch Funeral Home Smithtown
190 E. Main St.
SMITHTOWN, NY 11787
Second Visitation: Tuesday, March 25, 2025 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Branch Funeral Home Smithtown
190 E. Main St.
SMITHTOWN, NY 11787
Service: Wednesday, March 26, 2025 10:00 am
Branch Funeral Home Smithtown
190 E. Main St.
SMITHTOWN, NY 11787
Entombment: Wednesday, March 26, 2025 11:15 am
Pinelawn Memorial Park
2030 Wellwood Avenue
FARMINGDALE, NY 11735
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The family greatly appreciates donations made to these charities in Albert Ferri 's name.
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Dear Connie & Family,
I just wish to express my sadness in losing such a wonderful man. This world needs more Al’s…what a wonderful world it would be. My heart goes out to you. I will miss seeing his smiling face. He braved his disease, that dreadful, awful disease, with such bravery. He will surely be missed by all of us.
God Bless Al & all of you…always in my prayers!!
Jeanne Westerlund
Dearest Connie and family,
Jesse and I are extremely sad about Al’s passing, like someone said the world needs more people like Al.
We are so sorry we cannot be there in person but know we are thinking of you and your family in your time of grief. Love Always,
Jesse, Paula and family❤️🙏🏽
Myself and Mariana are so sorry about the passing of Al. He was a friend and a man whom I admired. He refused to give up the battle that he was facing. The world has lost a special man and a true warrior.
GOD BLESS Al and his entire family.
George Reich
Sincerely,
Russell
Connie, I’m so very sorry and my condolences to you and the entire family. Al was always willing to extend a helping hand to others. I appreciated the guidance he gave to me at work and always enjoyed our conversations then and when we retired. He had a wealth of knowledge and I enjoyed hearing his stories. May he rest in peace. Mitch Leisner
Aida and I were deeply saddened to hear of Al’s passing. He was a great professional and an even greater friend and colleague. Al will forever be in my memories and in my heart. Please accept our sincere condolences.
Vlado
He was always there for guidance. He made the overnights a better place to be.
RIP.
Sandor Panfel
Anne and I are so saddened by passing we cannot express it well.enough. Hope he is at peace now.
Connie and family,
Although this was inevitable, I’ve dreaded this day, and now it’s come. I am so deeply saddened by the loss of a great colleague, and, much more importantly, a dear and wonderful friend. Al was great to work with, and at ABC probably saved my ass more than a couple of times. It was always wonderful seeing him and our little overnight gang at those fun summer get-togethers you graciously hosted at your home. To say that Al will be missed by me and so many others is an understatement. I am truly brokenhearted today.
Very sorry
Mike Jacobson
Sorry to hear the news. I am confident that he will be going to a better place.
Al could be tough as a Group 7, but I know he cared for all us editors, and he championed our work most importantly.
He will be missed, but his spirit lives on.
Please share this message with his family.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Al and his family. A beautiful obituary for a beautiful, loving man who fought valiantly with the utmost dignity. Rest in peace. ❤️ – Maggie and Pat Naglieri
Al my respects to you and thank you.
Carlos.
He was the one of pillars that made working the overnight an amazing experience. Al was the group seven on the overnight for as long as I can remember. He helped groom young PA’s into great producers. I was lucky to work with him as one of those young PA’s just promoted from being a DA to coming back years later as a senior producer. He was always a true professional working to make the show better. I remember the my first day in slant I asked him if the worst thing I can do is not make air, and he answered the worst thing you can do is not make air and not tell anyone. He taught me working in slant was a group effort as was all of TV News. He was also a great editor. My deepest condolences to his family. My deepest thanks to Al for all he taught me.
Al was one of the people I had a special relationship with at ABC. And it continued after we retired. I will miss him.
So sorry to hear. Al was a strong leader and generous friend who genuinely cared about his ABC team. He wanted us all to succeed together and always took the time, care and effort to make sure this happened. He knew when to be serious and when to have a laugh. He had our backs. Like many editors – I owe him a debt, Farewell Al. You have my thanks and deepest condolences to your family.
Connie and family,
I’m so sad to hear of Al’s passing. From 1996 until his retirement (and beyond), Al was most of all, a great friend. He mentored me, a New York-outsider, throughout my career at ABC. Day in and day out, he literally taught me how to be an editing supervisor. Al graciously invited me to his yearly “overnight crew” gatherings.
Upon Al’s retirement, I took it upon myself to write a company-wide note telling anyone who may not have known, what a great career Al had. Al never forgot my kind words and mentioned that letter every time I spoke to him in the following years. I was especially proud of the fact that the then-president of ABC News plagiarized my words in his own tribute.
Sincere condolences from my wife and me to the whole family. He will be missed. May this good man and my good friend rest in peace.
Dear Connie my condolences to you and to your family.
I will miss my dear friend, I have such wonderful memories of working with him for many years in film then in 1980 he trained me to be a videotape editor. finally as supervisors I was the evening supervisor Al was the overnight supervisor
Rest in peace my friend.
Connie- Hospice was way too short. I had just learned over the weekend.ABC would not have been the same without Al’s inspiration and dedication. He was a leader and mentor. My sincere condolences to you and Al’s family.
It saddens me greatly to learn of Al’s illness and passing. No doubt he met every challenge with the same steadfast attitude he always had on the overnight.
I too spent many years working with him on the overnight at ABC News…and even shared a birth date (July 17). And as the memories come flooding back, I can say that his honest and gentle approach taught me many work, as well as, Life lessons. And as many have said before me, he was indeed a good person. Rest easy now dear Al. Warm Regards, Micheline Ramos
My prayers are with his family during this difficult time.
I was very sad to hear of Al’s passing. I have many fond memories of our time together at ABC. He will be deeply missed.
Deepest sympathies to his family.