Nancy Katherine (McArdle) Ferriter

Nancy Katherine (McArdle) Ferriter passed away unexpectedly on October 26, 2021 at the age of 82.  Nancy was born in Holyoke, MA on July 4, 1939 to the late John F. McArdle and Katherine (Winters) McArdle Minkler.  Nancy was a 1957 graduate of Holyoke High School and a retired Telephone Operator for the New England Telephone Company, also working at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home over the years.  Nancy kept a very busy social calendar, having weekly lunches and dinners with her friends, including friends from Holyoke High class of ’57, from the phone company, from the Soldiers’ Home, and from Mount Saint Vincent. She loved all things Irish and loved to travel, including at least a dozen trips to Ireland, as well as trips all over the US, France, Iceland, and England with her daughters and grandchildren.  She was fond of Vero Beach, FL, but never seemed happier than when she was enjoying a pastry at Courtney’s in Dingle or sipping a pot of tea at Murphy’s Pub in Ballyferriter.  Nancy was loved so deeply by her children: Thomas Ferriter and his partner Alice Kielbowicz,  Madeline Ferriter and her partner Carl Lewis, and Laura Ferriter and her husband Michael Brodeur; her grandchildren and great-grandchildren: Jill Beyer Hamel and her husband Patrick, and their children Delaney and Brody; Justin Beyer and his wife Kathryn, and their children Graham and Claire Nancy, who just came into this world on October 26th; and Alexandra Bay Brewer and her son, Archer.  Nancy is also survived by: her sisters and brother, Louise Clemens, Mary Balk, Constance Rodrigue, Laura Eckstein and Fred McArdle; many nieces and nephews, including Matthew McArdle and his wife Emily, and their daughters, Madelyn, Kate and Brigid; and her son Michael Ferriter and his children Kelly and Reilly.  Nancy also leaves behind many close friends, including Nancy Sullivan, Joyce Lucey, Janice Allard and Ethel Fryar, and Mary Sears of County Kerry.  Nancy was predeceased by the love of her life, her great-granddaughter, Harper Violet Brewer, in March 2020, a loss from which she never completely recovered; her longtime partner, Dennis B. Sears, who passed away in November, 2003; her grandson Michael Kelly Ferriter; her brother Deacon Paul McArdle; her brother and sister-in-law, Phillip and Sharyn McArdle; and her close friend, Margaret Walsh Fournier.  We find peace in knowing that Nan is with Harper, who she missed so much, and that Nan and Dennis are together once again, dancing Irish reels.  Family and friends are invited to meet for a Mass of Christian Burial on Tuesday, November 2, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. in Saint Jerome Church, 169 Hampden Street, Holyoke.  Burial will follow in Saint Jerome Cemetery.  Calling hours will be held on Monday, November 1, 2021 from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the Barry J. Farrell Funeral Home, 2049 Northampton Street, Holyoke. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in memory of Nancy to Project-13/Harper’s Haven, 1913 Northampton Street, Holyoke, MA 01040, for additions to the playground built in Harper’s memory at Holyoke’s Community Field.   
I know you’re shining down on us from Heaven, Like so many friends we’ve lost along the way, And I know eventually we’ll be together, One sweet day.

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