Obituary of James F. McFerran

EDWARDS- James F. "Jim" McFerran, age 90, of Edwards, NY went to see his wife, brother, sister, son and daughter who have passed before him, on Monday, June 18, 2018. Jim was born on April 4, 1928 in Edwards, NY to the late Robert H. and Ruth L. (Hance) McFerran. His parents moved to the farm in Edwards in 1932. The 100th anniversary of his great grandfather coming over from Ireland and establishing a home on the original property. Jim graduated from Edwards Central School in 1947 and then went to work for the Town of Edwards. He later went to work at J&L Steel in Star Lake until he was drafted during the Korean Conflict. He married Cynthia M. Barker on May 3, 1953 in Edwards. The couple moved to Cherry Point, NC, where he was stationed as a corporal in the USMC serving as a cook. He was discharged in January 1954 and resumed work at J&L Steel until the Star Lake location shut down and he was transferred to Willimantic, CT, where they lived for fourteen years. He and his wife returned to Edwards after his retirement. While living in Edwards, before moving to CT, he was involved in village government as a trustee and was the driving force of Edwards building one of the first sewer plants on the Oswegatchie River. He also was a member of the EVFD and the first Captain of the Edwards Rescue Squad. His only hobby in life was work. He started as a stock clerk at J&L Steel and ended up as a heavy equipment mechanic. In his off hours, he did carpentry, plumbing, air conditioning, refrigeration and anything someone needed done. Jim is predeceased by his parents, his wife Cynthia; a sister, Margaret Neil; a brother, John McFerran; a son, Thomas McFerran and the apple of his eye, his daughter, Kathleen Cassidy. Surviving is his sister, Rachael Bagley; two sons, Robert and Kathy (Fletcher) McFerran and Paul McFerran; His special other daughter, Diane; daughter-in-law Carrol; Nieces, Rini and Margaret, grandchildren, Kim, Joie, James, Nicholas, Arlene and Kelly and his great grandchildren, Cabryn, Mason, Lily, Aylah, Braelyn and Logan. During his life, Jim enjoyed giving happiness to others. A joke, a story, snips of family history or humorous stories about all the quirk of characters he met throughout his life, which brought joy to everyone he met. In keeping with Jim's wishes, there will be no funeral service. Calling hours will be on Wednesday, June 20, 2018 from 6:00-8:00pm at French Funeral Home, Edwards. Burial will be at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 7, East Syracuse, NY 13057.