Dr. James P. Ferris

Ferris, Dr. James P. ALBANY Dr. James P. Ferris, 83, died peacefully on March 4, 2016, at Daughters of Sarah Nursing Center in Albany. Jim was born in Nyack to Mabel (Collier) and Richard Ferris. He was the youngest of five children and was predeceased by his siblings Ann Ferris, Dick Ferris, Bob Ferris, and Sally Jones. He received his bachelor's degree at the University of Pennsylvania and his doctorate in chemistry from Indiana University. Postdoctoral studies were performed at MIT. Jim was a brilliant scientist who had a distinguished career as researcher of Atmospheric Photochemistry and the Origins of Life. Early in his career he was a professor at Florida State University and a researcher at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, Calif. before coming to RPI in 1967. During his years at RPI he accomplished ground-breaking research in Origins of Life studies and earned several prestigious awards for his work including the Oparin Medal of the International Society for the Study of the Origins of Life. Jim was the editor for the journal Origins of Life and Evolution of the Biosphere for 18 years and had an impressive grant-funded career through NIH and NASA. Although he was renowned in the scientific community, Jim displayed great humility about his many scientific achievements. Jim was known for his easygoing nature, kindness, generosity, quick sense of humor, and his joyful laugh. He was an avid sailor spending many weekends at Saratoga Lake racing his Ensign sailboat. He loved the ocean, travelled extensively, and was a lifelong Yankees fan. Jim was predeceased by his first wife, Joan Coop, who was the mother of his two loving daughters, Laura Ferris and Alison Ferris. Jim is survived by his wife of 24 years, Susan Shipherd; Laura and her husband, Garrett Hamlin, and their sons, Peter and David Hamlin; Alison and her partner, Peter Shellenberger, and her daughters, Sophie and Eliza D'Anieri; as well as Jim's two step-children, Jillian Shipherd and her husband, Sinisa Milenkovic; and JP Shipherd and his wife, Sam Shipherd, and their children Zeb and Willow Shipherd. All are welcome to attend Jim's memorial service which will be held on April 16, 2016, at 10:30 a.m. in the RPI Chapel and Cultural Center at 2125 Burdett Ave in Troy. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer's Association, 4 Pine West Plaza #405, Albany NY 12205. In keeping with Jim's dedication to the progression of scientific discovery, he donated his body to Albany Medical College.