Atty. Dean F. Ferris

Atty. Dean F. Ferris, 93

Canfield - Dean Ferris was born Aug. 16, 1927, a son of Frank F. and Ethel B. Ferris.  He was born and raised on the South Side of Youngstown, living on Idlewood Ave, graduated from South High school in June of 1945. He then enlisted in the U.S. Navy.  He had one brother, Duane R. Ferris, now deceased, a high school teacher living in Burton, Ohio.

Dean graduated from Ohio Northern University, College of Law in 1951, and practiced Probate Law for 65 years, retiring August 31, 2015.   He was a member of Mahoning County and State of Ohio Bar Associations.  His son, Ted A. Ferris, is now a Magistrate of the Mahoning County Juvenile Court.

He married Shirley Jean Shaw in 1948.  They lived in Ada, Ohio during law school.  Their son, Ted was born in 1951, and  their daughter, now Carolee Daroux, was born in Poland in 1954.

While living in Poland, Dean served on Village Council and, after moving into Poland Township, he was elected to the Poland Board of Education.  The family attended Poland United Methodist Church.

After twenty years of happy marriage, his wife, Shirley died of cancer.

On July 11, 1969, Dean married  the former Dolores (Pearl) Sinn, and welcomed  her five children Sharlene, Clifford, Deborah, Leslie, and Robin, to his family.  Dean and Dolores (Dee) enjoyed 50 blessed years of marriage.  They resided in Canfield Township and were members of the Western Reserve United Methodist Church, until her death on December 2, 2019.

LOVE and SERVICE were the motivations of his life.  He learned to love God in his early youth in Sunday school.  He loved, dearly, each wife, his children, parents, brother, and grandparents, plus twelve grandchildren; twenty-three great-grandchildren; and four great-great-grandchildren.

Service to others was exemplified in his membership to the Optimist Clubs for 65 years, serving as president, LT. Governor, and Distinguished Governor of the Ohio District.  He was elected Vice President of Optimist International in 1965.  He was a member of the Austintown Optimist Club at the time of his passing.

Dean was the voice of "Sports Talk", a weekly radio program covering the Cleveland Indians, Cleveland Browns, and the Ohio State Buckeyes during football season for thirty-eight years over a private radio station for the blind and disabled, Youngstown, Radio Reading.  He went to the Indians spring training twenty-eight years and did radio interviews for his listeners to enjoy.

He was a Mason since 1981, being a Past Master of Hillman Lodge (now Wick Lodge).  He was a member of Allen Lodge No. 276 in Columbiana and he served three years as a District Deputy Grand Master.

He was a member of Al Koran and the Youngstown Shrine Club.  He was a member of Aut Mori Grotto and its clown unit for thirty years.  He performed as "Dizzy Dean" the clown, where his compensation was "Bringing a smile to the face of a child."

Dean was a 65-year member of the Central YMCA, HFD, Noon Aquatics Class, which he partially credits for his long and healthy life.  At the age of 86, in 2014, he fulfilled a lifelong dream to skydrive.

Dean is survived by his children, Ted (Joan) Ferris of Columbiana, Sharlene (Chris) Sipple and Deborah (John) Cotton, both of Canfield, Leslie Griffith and Robin Russo both of Alto, MI, and Clifford (Mary Jo) Sinn of Austintown;  thirteen grandchildren; twenty-two great-grandchildren; and four great-great-grandchildren.

Dean was preceded in death by his daughter, Carolee Daroux; a grandson, Billy; and a son-in-law, Mike Russo.

Due to COVID-19 and Dean's request, a private family service was held on Sunday, September 20, 2020 at Davis-Becker Funeral Home 8536 Market Street in Boardman with Reverend Russ Adams officiating.

The family requests that material tributes take the form of contributions to Western Reserve United Methodist Church, 4880 Canfield Road, Canfield, OH 44406 or to the Youngstown Radio Reading Service, 2747 Belmont Avenue, Youngstown, OH 44505 in memory of Dean.

Condolences may be sent at www.beckerobits.com.