Robert Peter Ferriani

Colonel Robert Peter Ferriani, 85, of Indianapolis, Indiana, passed away peacefully on the morning of November 30, 2021, surrounded by his family and holding his wife’s hand, after a battle with cancer. A Southie at heart, Bob was born on August 14th, 1936 to Peter Joseph Ferriani and Wirdena Gerbrands in Boston, Massachusetts. Bob played football for UMass-Amherst, where he enrolled in ROTC and obtained his B.A. in Physical Education. He later went on to pursue an M.A. in Management at Webster College. While at UMass, Bob met Nancy Reed. They were married on July 27, 1956. He would joke that they would keep having kids until they had a son. They went on to have five daughters: Elizabeth, Katherine, Barbara, Margaret, and Sophia. Bob served in the US Army from 1960-1986, primarily as an Armor Officer. He served all over the world, including in combat in the Vietnam War from 1966-67. Among his many achievements throughout his career, he earned the Bronze Star with Valor device, the Air Medal, and the Combat Infantryman’s Badge. He retired at the rank of Colonel. After retiring from the Army, Bob became an avid antique collector and dealer. He was particularly drawn to the history and craftsmanship of flow blue china. A respected member of the Flow Blue International Collectors’ Club, he served in several high level positions, including president, and received a Lifetime Honorary Member award in 2008. Bob is fondly remembered for his sharp wit and humor, his amazing cooking (especially during his and Nancy's famous soup parties), and his love of Italian Opera. But above all else, he loved spending time with his family. Bob is predeceased in death by his parents and his sister Jean. He is survived by his wife Nancy, his sisters Marianne and Joan, his five daughters, his fifteen grandchildren, and his sixteen great-grandchildren. A public service will be held at Trinity Episcopal Church on Saturday, December 4th at 3:00 PM with a reception to follow. The Church requires all attendees to wear masks. The service will also be live streamed at trinitychurchindy.org . In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Riley’s Children’s Hospital or St. Richard’s Epsicopal School.