Alan Leonard Ferns

Alan Leonard Ferns passed away at his home in Fern Valley on March 16, 2025 at the age of 64, the youngest son of Leonard and Barbara Ferns.

He was born in 1960 at the Rogue Valley Medical Center, and was a long-time resident of Fern Valley. The last few years of Alan’s life were spent as caregiver and companion to his father who passed away last December.

Alan played football at Phoenix High School, and graduated there in 1978. He launched his career with the U.S. Forest Service, providing considerable experience in wildland fire suppression and Fuels Management. Applying his years of training, Alan was assigned a leadership role guiding private fire suppression crews throughout the summer. The remaining months were spent in fruit industry warehouses.

Alan loved the outdoors, in particular fishing and hunting. When he was young, his Uncle Lloyd took him to look for arrowheads around Howard Prairie Lake. He and his dad spend hours in the woods searching for mushrooms, comparing buckets to see who was the most profitable. Alan’s dad bought a boat to spend time together fishing on the lakes and Oregon Coast. His spare time was spent hunting elk with his dad and brothers. His good friend and companion Janine was his memorable fishing and mushroom-hunting partner.

Alan was preceded in death by his parents, Leonard (2024) and Barbara Ferns (2003), and his brother Ray Ferns (2022). He is survived by brother Mark Ferns, sister Susan Truly, his children Timothy and Delphine, four grandchildren, nephews, nieces, and numerous cousins.

A “Weekend Celebration of Life” will be held at RoxyAnn Winery in Medford, Oregon, on Sunday, June 8, 2025, 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.