Ferrone, Luke A., Age: 84, Manchester

841

Luke August Ferrone, 84, of Manchester, passed away on Wednesday, October 18. Luke was born in Brooklyn, New York, and resided in Ho-Ho-Kus and Shrewsbury prior to moving to Leisure Village West in 1995.

The son of Anna (Santoli) and Luke Ferrone, he grew up in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, graduating from Erasmus Hall High School.

He served honorably in the U.S. Air Force from 1952-1955 where he was stationed in Newfoundland as a military intelligence specialist.

In 1956, Luke joined the Western Electric Company as a draftsman where he met and married the one and only love of his life, Kathleen Ford, in 1958. He attended Fairleigh Dickinson University and went on to a very successful 40-year career at AT&T Bell Laboratories and Lucent Technologies, Holmdel, before retiring as a Distinguished Member of Technical Staff in 1996.

Husband, father, grandfather and friend, Luke had a deep love for and lifelong commitment to his family and friends. He loved fast cars, history and science fiction, but was happiest at home using his expert handyman skills to build or fix things for his family and friends. He especially loved to landscape, garden and host special holiday gatherings where home cooked food, family and friends were always in abundance. Luke was a parishioner of St. John’s R.C. Church, Lakehurst and a past member of the Knights of Columbus, Council 5257, Waldwick.

Luke is survived by his loving wife of 59 years, Kathleen; three sons, Luke Ferrone Jr., Steven Ferrone and John Ferrone and his wife, Toni; his daughter, Kathleen Hendrick and her husband, John; and his sisters, Marie Smith and Ann Carol Grimm. He is also survived by his nine grandchildren, Megan, Katie, Kathleen, Robert, Anne, Luke III, Oliva, Jack and Lily.

DeGraff Lakehurst Funeral Home, Lakehurst, was in charge of arrangements.