Ophelia Marie Ferraro

Ophelia Marie Ferraro was born on May 29, 1925 in Nervesa della Battaglia, Italy. She was the oldest child of Ida and Ottavio Zanardo. At the age of two, Ophelia immigrated to Canada with her mother. They took the train from Italy to France where they were to depart on the “Empress of Scotland” with pre-booked and pre-paid tickets. However, Ophelia was no longer considered an infant, so when they arrived at the port, the ship wanted more money for the fare. The problem was solved with an exchange of telegrams and then they were allowed to board the ship and cross the Atlantic Ocean, arriving in Halifax on June 21, 1927. They travelled across Canada by train to Mission, BC and met up with her father who was already in Canada. Her name on her birth certificate was “Ofelia Maria Zanardo” but it was anglicized to “Ophelia Marie Zanardo” when she arrived in Canada. Five years later, her brother Egidio was born. The Zanardos were Sumas Prairie pioneers.

Ophelia’s first communion and confirmation were in 1935 at St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Abbotsford. Ophelia was a devout Catholic and it was important to her that she attend church weekly. Ophelia went to Upper Sumas Elementary School where she learned English and made life-long friends. Although, Ophelia desired to go to high school and follow her dream to be a hairdresser, after grade 7 it was time for her to stay home and work on their dairy farm.

On July 5, 1952, Ophelia married the love of her life, Eurelio (Ray) Ferraro. Together they raised five children, Norma (Jim), Linda (Rick), Carol (Larry), Gordon (Debbie) & Lorraine (BJ) on their Sumas Prairie farm. Ophelia played an active role in her children’s lives including belonging to the Upper Sumas PTA where she helped with hotdog days and sport’s day concessions. She also spent numerous hours driving her children to their activities including Brownies, Girl Guides, 4H, softball, hockey, figure skating, volleyball and Catechism.

Ophelia was also blessed with 11 grandchildren, Dale, Craig, Andrea (Cole), Angela (Ted), Tanya (Phil), Michelle (Colby), Russell (Vanessa), Brad (Melissa), Shannon, Rene (Jordan) & Dayne (Rachel) and 9 great-grandchildren Lincoln, Ava, Mila, Nixie, Rae, Benjamin, Rory, Cayson & Gracie. She was extremely proud of all her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren - they were “all her favourite”.

Not only was Ophelia involved with her family’s lives, she enjoyed socializing and giving back to the community. She was a member of the Upper Sumas Women’s Institute, volunteering for Sumas Days, making giant tubs of potato salad and helping out with teas. She attended weekly T.O.P.S (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) meetings at Upper Sumas Elementary. Ophelia also generously donated money to multiple charities including sponsoring a foster child.

Growing up in the great depression taught Ophelia to be very cognizant of waste. She saved everything from empty food containers to papers with ink markings on them as she could always find a use for them. She canned all summer long with vegetables and fruit from their two large gardens. She often sewed matching outfits for her girls for special occasions including Easter and Christmas. She enjoyed knitting toques, scarfs, and dish cloths but her favourite past time was pressing flowers to make handmade greeting cards.

Christmas traditions were of the utmost importance to Ophelia. She loved to make Crostoli (Italian pastry) with her daughters and granddaughters to share with her friends and family. Every Christmas Eve, Ophelia would host a family dinner (friends were always welcomed) involving delicious food, exchanging presents, socializing, late night bestia gambling and midnight mass at St. Ann’s to end the night.

As Ophelia entered her 80s her hobbies began to shift. She voluntarily gave up her driver’s license, never having had a ticket or an accident. When her friends started passing away, Ophelia collected and organized their obituaries in photo albums to keep them close. She enjoyed going to the casino, garden nurseries, attending Birchwood ice cream socials and shopping at the thrift and dollar stores - they soon became her “happy places”. Ophelia was never one for drinking but she sure loved her Baileys Irish Cream every night before bed, even in her last few nights.

Ophelia was the glue that kept her family so close. She was the shoulder to cry on, the one to make you laugh and always there with a ride or an extra bed whenever you needed it. She was always there, no matter what. Ophelia was remarkable; she was strong and stubborn, yet a combination of warmth, kindness, laughter and love.

Sadly, Ophelia passed away at 5:20 am on July 6, 2022. She was pre-deceased by her husband Eurelio Ferraro in 1998, her parents Ottavio (1997) and Ida (2003), her brother Egidio (2021) and an infant brother.

R.I.P. Mom, Grandma, Great-grandma, Sister, Cousin, Auntie, & Friend

A prayer service for Ophelia will be held Wednesday, July 13, 2022 from 8:00 PM to 9:00 PM at St. Anne's Catholic Church, 33333 Mayfair Ave, Abbotsford, BC V2S 3H7. A funeral mass will occur Thursday, July 14, 2022 from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM at St. Ann's Catholic Church, 33333 Mayfair Avenue, Abbotsford, BC V2S1P4. An interment will occur Thursday, July 14, 2022 from 2:30 PM to 3:30 PM at Musselwhite Cemetery, 35301 Old Yale Road, Abbotsford, BC V3G 2C5.

Ophelia will be laid to rest in Musselwhite Cemetery, 35301 Old Yale Road, Abbotsford, British Columbia V3G 2C5.

Serving as pallbearers are Dale Latin, Craig Latin, Bradley Ferraro, Russell Foster, Dayne Gagnon, Colby Coates and Jordan Klassen.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.hendersonsabbotsfordfunerals.com for the Ferraro family.