Samuel Elwood Ferry (Sam), passed away on the evening of June 2, 2014, at Pomona Valley Hospital in Pomona, CA. He was born on Jan. 5, 1945, in Sunbury, PA, to Elwood and Marjorie Ferry. He attended Sunbury schools thru his sophomore year at Sunbury High School with the class of ’62. He completed his junior and senior years at Carlisle Military School in Bamberg, SC., graduating in 1962.
He served in the US Marine Corps from 1963 to 1967. He was a special radio operator with intelligence units serving mostly in Asia and Southeast Asia. In 1966 while serving in Vietnam he was promoted to the rank of Sgt., and received the Navy Achievement Medal
He graduated from Atlantic Airline School in Kansas City, MO., beginning his career in the airline industry with Bonanza Airlines in 1967, which lasted through five carriers and four mergers. He retired in 2002 from Northwest Airlines as an Operations/Customer Service supervisor, to volunteer for the new Transportation Security Administration following 9/11. He retired from TSA in 2007 as a Transportation Security Manager. He received the 2004 Leadership Silver Award from TSA.
He earned an AA Degree from Chaffey College in Alta Loma, CA, a BA Degree from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, CA, a California vocational teaching credential in Travel Studies, and a Supervisory Excellence Certificate from the University of California, Riverside.
In early years, he was an avid runner competing in nearly one hundred races, and played softball on a number of airline teams. He also coached youth sports when his children were young
During retirement Sam volunteered with the Fisheries Resource Volunteer Corps for the US Forest Service. He was a Stream Coordinator in the Angeles National Forest for FRVC and selected to the Board of Directors in 2013. In 2012 he received the national Presidents Volunteer Award for service in excess of one thousand hours
He also volunteered with the Citizens on Patrol for the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department in Court Services. He was a long time blood donor with donations in excess of 11 gallons. He served on the county Grand Jury in ’08-’09, and was a ‘roll-call’ reader at Riverside National Cemetery. His favorite pastime however was attending his grandkids sports and music events.
He was a member of the Marine Corps Cryptologic Association and a member at large of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
He was predeceased by his parents, Sister Barbara, and one niece Cynthia. He is survived by his wife Anita of 27 years, two children from a previous marriage, Josh (Cherry), Becky (Micah), and two stepdaughters Renee and Angie (Mylo). He also is survived by seven grandchildren, Hali, Joshua, Trinity, Mackenzie, Kaden, Kaia, Logan, and twelve nieces and nephews and their families in Pennsylvania and Florida.
Funeral services will be held at Draper Mortuary in Ontario on Wednesday, June 11, from 12:00-1:00pm. Committal and military honors will follow at 2:00pm at Riverside National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the American Cancer Society, American Alzheimer Association, American Diabetes Association, or the Semper Fi fund for wounded warriors.