Mary Rebecca Ferris
December 9, 1939 ~ January 30, 2023
Click to donate to Unity Hall in Becky's honor.
(If you are not a member, please email your mailing address
to unityhallfoundation@gmail.com so we can send a card.
thanking you for your donation.
Just about everyone that entered Unity Hall over the last several decades was greeted and welcomed by Rebecca Ferris. Becky was a founding member, a past President and the current Vice President of the Unity Hall Foundation whose kindness, enthusiasm, sharp sense of humor and generosity awed us all.
Those attributes and her kinetic energy made her seem far younger than her 83 years, so news of her passing this week hurt deeply. It is also shared widely because, as these words from her family convey, her dedication to making things better for people extended well beyond the countless hours she devoted to Unity Hall...
"Always in motion, Becky accomplished several lifetimes worth of work and affected lives all over the world. She ran The Schoolhouse Nursery for so long that she taught the kids of her earlier students. She sewed hundreds of quilts for Hospice, bagged tons of groceries for Foothills Food Pantry, and was an organizational force of nature at the Unitarian Church of Barneveld, Unity Hall, the Barneveld Library and Herkimer BOCES. She could get things done.
There was always music in Becky’s life. She played the radio really loud, sang in choirs, worked her saxophone chops, went to concerts, and supported live music and the arts with her time, talent and treasure.
Most importantly, Becky was devoted to her family, which extended far beyond actual relatives. Her house was open to anyone who needed a place to stay, a movie to watch, toys to play with, an ice skating partner or a chat. If you ever met her, no matter how briefly, you were pretty much guaranteed to receive cards, and possibly presents, every year."
A memorial service will be held at the Unitarian Church of Barneveld at 2 pm on Saturday, February 4, 2023, with a reception to follow. At the request of the family,. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Unity Hall Foundation. Donations can be made through the Donate button above or by mail ling a check payable to the Unity Hall Foundation to Unity Hall / PO Box 393 / Barneveld, NY 13304.