Geraldine M. Ferraro

Geraldine M. Ferraro
Wellington, FL
A life well-lived by a true warrior, Geraldine M. Ferraro (Gerry), born on July 18, 1941, passed away on June 2, 2010, surrounded by her devoted husband of nearly 53 years, Frank; her loving daughter, Christina Sweet; and her youngest son, Michael. Gerry and Frank first met and were married when Frank was 17 and Gerry was 16. Their love is something that people admired and cherished, and it should be followed as an example to all. They had three children: Frank Jr. (Kate), who passed away January 15th this year from complications with pancreatic cancer; Christina Sweet (Ryan) of Land OLakes, FL; and Michael (Susan) of Wellington. The family of five that started in New Hartford, NY, continued to grow in love, strength and numbers over the years, blessing Gerry and Frank with 10 grandchildren along the way: Niccole, Brandon, Corey, Jeremy, Damon, Brittney, Ariel, Nicholas, Luke and Gabriel. Also surviving are her brother, Anthony Pontonero (Donna) of Lutz, FL, and numerous nieces and a nephew. Besides her son, Frank Jr., she was predeceased by her mother, Marguerite Pontenero, formerly of New Hartford, NY. Gerry was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 1971, giving her less than 7 months to live. Refusing to give in to that sentence, she fought the battle several times throughout her life, never losing focus that she was here to raise her family and not to die. She often said she did not live with a disease, but a disease lived with her. She was always there to lend a hand or a shoulder of support, and when necessary carried an iron fist (which could have been often). She battled through her cancer daily, and when diagnosed with COPD approximately 6 years ago, she still did not let that derail her from her family life or even work. She sought ways to combat this illness and kept a positive attitude every day to help her fight through not one, but two diseases, and until her last breath she fought to stay with her family. She believed in strong family values, God, good friends, good food and hard work. If you had the honor of knowing Gerry, your life was touched in a special way. For those who didnt know her personally, chances are she touched the life of someone you know. Her positive attitude, beautiful smile and laughter - and mostly her tenacious desire to live and love - will be greatly missed. We love you Honey, Mom, Mother-in-law, Sister, Aunt, Sister-in-law, Grandma, princess and Friend - and we will miss you every day until the Lord brings us together again. May God continue to watch over you as you have watched over all of us! If you would like to join us in celebrating all that she represented, services will be held at Palms West Funeral Home on Sunday, June 6, from 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. The Funeral Mass will be at St. Therese de Lisieux, 11800 Lake Worth Road, Wellington, at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, June 7, 2010. Palms West Funeral Home & Crematory Royal Palm Beach, FL 561-753-6004 Family Owned & Operated www.palmswestfuneralhome.com
Geraldine Ferraro