Linda Irene Navarro Ferri

Linda Navarro Ferri moved on from this Earthly life very peacefully on February 2, 2026 surrounded and held by her family at White Plains Hospital. Born March 25, 1947 to Amira Amador and Felix Navarro in New York City, she grew up in Riverdale, attended Catholic schools and graduated from Hunter College with a Bachelor’s in Art History. She then went on to receive her Masters in Art History from Columbia University. She followed her passion for Art History and teaching painting, pottery and other mediums for 45 years.

After college, Linda backpacked across Europe and immersed herself in art across the world. Linda had a strong grasp of language and was fluent in English, Spanish, French and Italian. She had an immense love for museums and no matter where she traveled (even Oklahoma and Arkansas!) she always found at least one to explore.

Continuing on her streak of independence, upon her return to Riverdale in the early 1970's, Linda opened and operated her own pottery studio with a steady flow of students and friends coming in to enjoy and participate in her passion. She referred to the studio students as a created family and remained close friends with many of them for over 50 years. She mastered the chemical mixing of glazes, high and low firing in her own kilns, maintaining kiln logs and everything needed to conduct the studio on her own. Quite the independent woman, she was also a professor at Manhattan College and Pace University. Eventually she created a small studio in her home and continued to teach students there until she was 70 years old. Her pottery was presented in various art shows and won multiple awards. Linda's love of animals was deeply a part of her. She took in her first dog, Strider, who was a stray hiding in an alley in Riverdale near her shop. Her love of animals was bottomless and she had a pet her entire adult life.

Linda had two children, Lauren and Matthew, and with them, moved to Scarsdale where she worked on a volunteer basis with the elementary schools. She created and wrote an entire art curriculum, "Learning to Look." She organized several cultural events per year where the entire school immersed themselves in and celebrated a particular culture, learning language, customs, clothing, art and food for a day. Linda also ran an afterschool program where children would come and learn to cook worldwide food (dumplings were the favorite!).

Her own children were her passion and her priority and she devoted all she had to creating a wonderful childhood for them. There was no greater pleasure for her than seeing them happily and eagerly exploring the world. Linda continued to volunteer and work in the schools as her kids aged through high school.
Once her children were older, Linda returned to teaching and took on long term substitute teaching positions in Westchester school systems, eventually settling back in Scarsdale. She taught both Spanish and Art and was in very high demand due to her classroom management skills and ability to guide students through to a piece of art they would feel proud of. She was also able to travel the world and went to Macchu Picchu, London, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Russia, the Dominican Republic, and finally visited the Grand Canyon which she felt was one of the most beautiful places she had ever been.

Linda lived her life fully. After having two grandchildren, she was re-ignited with youth. She chased them around, created passions for art in them and imparted more of her unending love. She traveled back and forth to Oklahoma multiple times per year to visit Lauren and the kids until she opened her home for them to live with her and became a “full time” Nana. Alexis and Matthew were truly spoiled in love and adoration; she played nothing short of a pivotal role in their lives.

Linda first became ill in 2022 and Parkinson’s Disease ravaged her body for four years. She fought so hard to continue coming home to her family and seeing her grandkids run around, laugh and play tricks on her. Linda was apt to give or do anything she could for her family without question in a way that is incredibly rare. Those in her life were blessed to learn so much from her. Her brilliant spirit taught us that all the obstacles are not obstacles, but the road we are meant to follow. She was incredibly proud of her family and all their accomplishments, reminding them by always being there with infinite support. She always focused on the beautiful life she created rather than mourning what she had loss or the illness that she knew would bring eventual passing.

Linda is at peace now, laughing, surrounded by all of her beloved animals – King, Strider, D.T., Bear, Nuts and Lilly – and her best friend from her pottery days, Barney.