Keltie E. Ferris

A spectacular matriarch, generous friend and vivacious communitarian, passed away peacefully on Sunday, March 1, 2026, surrounded by her three children, at the age of 84.

Born in Edmonton, Alberta, to Eloise and Douglas Burr, Keltie grew up in Belleville, Ontario. After earning her degree at the University of Toronto, she began a career as a physical therapist, a vocation that took her across France and Switzerland before she married her college beau, Dr. Fred Z. Ferris. In 1973, the young couple established their family in Louisville, Kentucky, where Keltie became a cornerstone of her community.

A woman of boundless energy and a distinct flare for style, Keltie was a self-taught artist whose landscapes were widely exhibited and sold. Her passion for the arts led her to form numerous painting groups and critique clubs. An avid music lover, she served on the Board of the Louisville Youth Orchestra. Her faith and social life were intertwined through her longstanding membership at Second Presbyterian Church and the Younger Women's Club of Louisville.

Keltie formed lifelong friendships and made new ones wherever she went. She was a fixture in a staggering array of groups, including the Second Acts singing group, Golden Bells, Sunday Singles, Busy Needles, Louisville Playreaders, a forty-year running Couples' Book Club and a masters swim team. Just days before her death, she completed the editing of her late husband's memoir, From Fascism to Freedom: A Memoir and Other Recollections of My Odyssey from Croatia to Kentucky, which will be published this summer by Butler Books.

She was the heart of her extended family, organizing reunions from Florida to Ontario, including open water swimming and shared Christmases. Keltie created a lush, loving home that became a destination for her grandchildren who cherished their solo visits filled with museum trips, etiquette lessons, tea parties and candy store splurges. In her husband's final years, she was his devoted caregiver, navigating his health crises with tireless grace.

She is survived by her three children, Sonja Florman (Jeffrey), Charles Ferris (Maria Francesca Stamuli) and Kelt Ferris (Anna Craycroft); her six beloved grandchildren, Ferris, Henry, Lola, Zlatan, Antonio Cosma, and Bayard; her brothers, Robert Burr and Jim Burr; her sister-in-law, Kris Burr; nieces, nephews, and cousins she held dear.

Service Information:

A funeral service celebrating her life will be held at 11 am on Saturday, March 7, at Second Presbyterian Church in Louisville, Kentucky. Friends may visit with the family beginning at 10 am at the church. A reception with a full luncheon will immediately follow the service. In celebration of her life, gifts may be made to the Kentucky Humane Society and The Cabbage Patch Settlement House, two organizations dear to her.