John William Ferrari

John W. Ferrari, of Westwood, NJ, age 50, passed away suddenly on Monday, September 3, 2018. John was born in Rockville Centre, Long Island, and was raised in Fort Lee, NJ by his parents, Mary Lou & Jack Portney. He was a graduate of New York Military Academy and Fort Lee High School. As a Microsoft Certified Engineer, John was employed by Portney & Company, CPA’s for nearly 30 years as their Firm Administrator and Director of Information Technology.

John was a devoted family man, “know it all”, and animal lover. When John was not working, he was making sure his kids were always taken care of, playing with his dogs, working in his yard, planning the next family vacation somewhere on a beach or hosting tailgating parties before Jets games at MetLife Stadium. Summer time was John’s favorite season whether he was fishing with his son Johnny or catching the sun rays with his daughter Jaclyn. His love for his children was evidenced by his deep involvement in their lives. John spent thousands of hours of time coaching his son’s numerous baseball teams and probably the same amount of time being the quintessential “Cheer Dad” for his daughter.

John will be lovingly remembered by his devoted son John Lawrence Ferrari & his wife Sara, his precious daughter Jaclyn Elizabeth and his proud parents Mary Lou [Smith], Jack Portney, John Ferrari Sr. and sorely missed by his dogs Amelia, Kash, and Benjamin. John will also be endearingly remembered and missed by his devoted brother James Ferrari, sister-in-Law Cheryl and his Godchildren, nephew Dylan & niece Taylor Ferrari. John was as mischievous as the kids, constantly sneaking them sweets, teasing Dylan about girls, and admiring Taylor’s gymnastics skills. He is survived by the mother of his children, Lisa Marie Mihalina, and her mother Marie from Pennsylvania.

John is predeceased by his grandparents, Martha & Robert Smith, Louis & Claire Ferrari and his Father-In-Law, Frank Mihalina. A Mass will be celebrated by Father Paul on Thursday, September 6, at 10:30 AM at the Church of the Assumption, 29 Jefferson Ave, in Emerson, NJ. Those who wish to attend the Mass are asked to go directly to the church. Those who so desire may make a memorial donation in memory of John to the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) organization, or the Humane Society.