Ferdinand & Barbara E. (Friend) "Ferd" Litter

Ferdinand J. Litter III, Ferd, was born in 1937 in New York. He became a Civil Engineer and was immediately drafted in the Army Corps of Engineers. After his service, he worked as a Professional Engineer.
Barbara Ellen Friend was born in 1938 in New York. She obtained her Master's degree in Education and became an elementary school teacher.
Barbara and Ferd were introduced by mutual friends and married in 1964. They eventually moved to the suburbs in New Jersey to raise their children.
Barbara gave up her teaching career to become a stay at home mother and was involved in the Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts, and PTA. She used her love of reading and her teaching experience to work at the County Library and to eventually become an elementary school library assistant. She especially enjoyed finding the right book for each child coming into the library.
Ferd was an Engineer in both his professional and personal life. He used his talents to build decks on the back and front of the house, a drainage ditch system in the yard and two bridges over these ditches. He designed the back yard to be an ideal play space for his children, including a large elevated play fort, a giant sand box framed by railroad ties and various swing sets and play equipment. Ferd was an Assistant Scout Master with the Boy Scouts of America, and guided boys of all ages to reach their maximum potential, including his own son, who became an Eagle Scout. Ferd remained in scouting long after his children moved on.
Travel and love of the outdoors was their passion. Every summer they took family camping trips in the Western part of the United States and Canada, exploring the National Parks. These trips inspired their children to move out west, with their daughter moving to WA state and their son moving to Colorado. It was an easy transition for Barbara and Ferd to retire to Colorado, when their son suggested they would love it here, because they forgot that they already did.
Barbara and Ferd loved the natural and artistic aspects of both Loveland and the state of Colorado. Moving to Loveland, brought them an active new chapter in their life, making new friends, frequenting the sculpture park and art shows, and hiking in the various state and national parks, including their favorite, Rocky Mountain National Park. Ferd enjoyed daily walks in the neighborhood, while Barbara volunteered weekly for Meals on Wheels for many years. One of the first things they did in Loveland, was get their library cards, and they had their weekly "library day." And one of the last things they were still able to do together was make their weekly trip to the library.
Their life was enhanced by their grandchildren. One of their greatest joys was being able to be active grandparents, taking their grandchildren to the local playgrounds, parks and especially the children's railroad near the sculpture park.
Barbara and Ferd had a fulfilling and adventurous life time together. They struggled in the end with Ferd's dementia and Barbara's own health issues, but that was only a small piece of the almost sixty years of life they shared. They will be deeply missed by their family and everyone who knew them.
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