Charlotte A. Ferris of Fort Myers Fl., former resident of Warwick R.I. passed away on October 18, 2023, after a long battle with lupus. Charlotte was born August 8, 1942, in Beaumont Texas to Charles and Mae Helen Smith. She is survived by her husband, Dr. David Ferris, formally from Warwick, R.I. her daughter, Heather Balicki Wheeler, from Fort Myers and three sisters. Katie Brown, of Newton, Texas, Mary Santos, (Peter deceased) of Nacogdoches, Tx, and Diana Jones (Luke) from Nacogdoches Texas. She is predeceased by her sister Carolyn Hebert, and her former husband Fredric Balicki. Charlotte leaves 6 grandchildren, Olivia Grace, who lived the closest to her Nana, was the apple of her eye.
Charlotte, after graduating high school, spent two years at Lamar University studying political science before moving to Washington, D.C. to pursue her career. She quickly found a job at the Washington Office of the American Optometric association, where she met her husband, David. Charlotte soon became the administrative assistant to the Washington office director, and later to the Executive Director of the AOA.
In 1982, after she and Dr.Ferris married, she went to work at Brown University, where she eventually worked as the office manager to the Dean of Faculty. After 20 years at Brown Charlotte was forced to retire for health reasons. Not one to sit around, she volunteered at The Central R.I. Chamber of Commerce before retiring to Florida with her husband.
Charlotte’s greatest joy was to read her Bible daily, entertaining friends, and traveling. It was not uncommon for her to have 12 or 14 people for holiday meals at her home in R.I., and even entertain friends on the weekends. She loved traveling to Nantucket Island, and Europe often enticing friends to come along, and she always set the itinerary!
There will be a memorial service to honor and remember Charlotte, at Faith Baptist Church, Warwick, at 9 am on Saturday, November 18th. Friends and family are welcome to attend. Burial will be private in Yarmouth, MA. later that afternoon.
Donations, in lieu of flowers, may be made to the Lupus foundation of America, or to Faith Baptist Church, Warwick, R.I. in memory of Charlotte.
