Chris was born on July 31, 1946 to Byron Collier Sr. and Bettie Woodell Collier in Lillington, NC. She grew up in Fayetteville, NC and graduated from Pine Forest High School. She spent a significant amount of her youth helping around their huge garden, canning vegetables, and enjoying her childhood pet, Jiggs. She also enjoyed spending time with her nieces and nephews and babysitting them for her sisters.
After high school, she joined the United States Air Force with hopes of becoming an airline stewardess. Unfortunately, she discovered that the training program was no longer available and instead trained in computers and mainframe operations, which led her to her eventual lifelong career choice.
Probably the single most important thing that happened to her during her enlistment was meeting the love of her life, Larry Ferrell. It took some persistence on his part, as she was an independent woman who never intended to marry, but once he managed to win her over, they were inseparable for the next 58 years. They married on March 6, 1966 in her hometown of Fayetteville, NC, and they honeymooned in Myrtle Beach, SC. They remained at Maxwell AFB until their discharge and then moved back to Larry’s hometown of Phenix City, Alabama, where they lived for the remainder of their lives.
Chris worked as a supervisor in computer operations for various companies in the area over the years, while Larry worked in the finance industry. As it turned out, they had 13 additional honeymoon years, during which time they spent much of their vacation with all of their siblings and their nieces and nephews, who they were very close to. They also enjoyed traveling regularly, whether to the mountains, the beach, cruises, and even visiting Disney World the very first year it opened.
On August 11, 1979, after 13 years of marriage, they welcomed their daughter, Jennifer, who quickly became the light of their lives. Chris was an absolutely and completely devoted and doting mother, there for every big and small moment in Jennifer’s life, ever present with her support, guidance, and love. Once Jennifer met the love of her life, Nojan, and they were married, Chris took great joy in having someone in her life that she considered to be her son. She and Larry were a constant presence in their lives – supportive, generous, and loving in every way.
Outside of her role as a mother, there was no role that fulfilled her life more than being Nana to her grandchildren. Ava, Cameron, Aiden and Tristan were the absolute joys of her life. She was the type of grandma who got down on the floor and played with them for hours, who wanted to be there for every moment, big and small, who had endless amounts of patience with them, who was their biggest supporter and advocate, and who loved them so big and so hard that every one of them felt like her favorite. Anyone who knew her would tell you that she loved nothing more than her grandbabies. Chris’s joys in life were the people she loved. If you were lucky enough to be loved by her, you undoubtedly felt her support and devotion and love so strongly.
Along with her husband of 56 years, Larry Ferrell, Chris leaves behind her daughter and son-in-law, Jennifer and Nojan Valadi, and her grandchildren, Ava, Cameron, Aiden and Tristan Valadi. Predeceased by her three sisters, Margie Minton, Judy Church, and Linda Collier, she also leaves behind a brother, Byron Collier Jr., several brothers and sisters-in-law and many loving nieces and nephews.
Chris will be desperately missed by all those that she has left behind. Our hearts are so broken by this unexpected loss. She was one of a kind, and to be loved by her was to be truly blessed.
A private service was held for Chris on May 20, 2022 at Striffler-Hamby in Phenix City, Alabama.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.shphenixcity.com for the Ferrell family.
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