Kathryn Lipps Ferrara

Our Heroine, Kathryn Claire Lipps Ferrara passed away on Sunday, January 14, 2024 at the age of 72, in the presence of her family. She was a native of New Orleans, LA. She attended St. Matthias Grammar School and graduated from Dominican High School. Kathy studied at Touro Infirmary School of Nursing in New Orleans and became a Registered Nurse in 1974. She was very passionate about her career working as a Registered Nurse for over 40 years. She started her career at Touro Infirmary, then went to Quality Care, Baptist, Dr. Vance A. Marinello, MD Dermatology, and Ochsner Hospital. Kathy cared for her patients and mentored many nurses at Ochsner Hospital; she retired 25 years later as charge nurse of the Med-Surg unit, where she was honored with the Best 100 Nurses Award. She then went to work part-time alongside her son, Joey Ferrara, at Louisiana Machine Control, LLC.

She enjoyed spending time with family and friends. She treasured her role as Nana and was a tremendous part of her grandchildren’s lives. She volunteered at their school and helped them tirelessly with their studies. She supported them at their sporting events, cheerleading competitions, horseback riding lessons, and plays.

Kathy was known to all as being a formidable woman, deeply kind, loving, and contagiously optimistic. She loved gardening, shopping, reading her First 5 Devotional and mystery books, crafting, fishing, listening to music, ice cream, and vacationing at the beach. Despite her 2 ½ year battle against stomach cancer, she never complained or showed signs of despair. She faced her adversary with courage, faith, and grace. Kathy was a parishioner of St. Philip Neri and was a woman of strong faith. She was a woman of excellence; her legacy will live on through us, in the virtues she has bestowed upon us as her children.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Frank J. Lipps Sr. and Inez Breen Lipps, father -in-law, Frank Ferrara Sr., mother-in-law, Marilyn Haney Ferrara, brother, Reverend Monsignor Frank J. Lipps Jr., sister, Elaine Lipps LeRoy, her husband, Charlie Ferrara, brother-in-law, Charles Brenner, and nephew, Jeff Lipps. She is survived by her brother, Jack Lipps, children, Chuck Ferrara (Colette), Joey Ferrara (Missy), and Katie Barletta (Nic), grandchildren, Annabella Ferrara, Anjolie Ferrara, Melanie Ferrara, Luca Barletta, Adelaide Ferrara, Francesca Barletta, and Eleanor Barletta, her loving brother and sister in-laws, 7 nephews, 9 nieces, and her precious pet, Bell. Kathy loved her family deeply and will be infinitely adored.

Family and friends are invited to celebrate the life of Kathy Ferrara on Friday, February 9, 2024 at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd., New Orleans, LA 70124. Visitation begins at 12:00 pm with Memorial Mass at 1:00 pm. Interment will follow in Metairie Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to (CAGLA) The Cancer Advocacy Group of Louisiana, Inc. https://cag-la.org