Roberta McCleary McCleary Ferron

Surrounded by her loving family, Roberta Ferron died on January 23, 2012 in Portland, Oregon at the age of 85. She was born on September 10, 1926 in Altoona, Pennsylvania to Roderick and Marion(Watts) McCleary.

Roberta graduated in 1944 from McCaskey High School in Lancaster, Pennsylvania as valedictorian. Roberta worked for two years for RCA and Armstrong Cork in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. She then earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry in 1950 at the University of Delaware. She lived in Niagara Falls, New York, working for the Dupont Company, where she met her husband to be, John Ferron. Roberta and John married on May 12, 1951 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Later they lived in Madison, Wisconsin, and Newark, Delaware. In 1969, they moved to Rochester, New York where Roberta worked at the University of Rochester in the Division of Genetics of the Medical School and then for the Department of Chemistry as an Administrative Assistant, retiring in 1992. In 1998 she moved with John to Depoe Bay, Oregon to Little Whale Cove where she organized their library, prompting the library to be named the Roberta and John Ferron Library. She was a volunteer at the Oregon Coast Aquarium and was a member of the Congregational Church in Lincoln City where she sang in the choir.

Hobbies include playing bridge, knitting, and crocheting, singing in church choirs, visiting casinos, and vegetable gardening, reading, camping and traveling.

Survivors include her loving husband John Royal Ferron, Gresham, OR. three sons, John Roderick Ferron, San Diego, CA., David George (Gina) Ferron, Gresham, OR., Robert Charles (Cindy) Ferron, Seattle, WA, daughter Catherine(Paul Roberts) Ferron, San Rafael, CA., 6 grandchildren, Angela, Joseph, Alex, Cole, Thomas and Paige.

Donations may be given to the Oregon Coast Aquarium, 2820 SE Ferry Slip Rd., Newport, OR 97365

No services will be held right away.