E. Brian Ferber

E. Brian Ferber passed away peacefully in his sleep at home, with his wife by his side, on May 1st, 2026. He was born in Greenwich, Connecticut, on March 16, 1951, to William A. Ferber and Elenor Odette Hill Ferber. He was the youngest and only boy among four children, with three older sisters: Barbara Ferber Bristol Carnes, Marilyn Ferber Capone, and Karen Ferber Webster. Brian spent his entire childhood in the same family home, surrounded by the people who shaped his early years.

Brian graduated from St. Mary’s High School in Greenwich in 1969, where he enjoyed playing on the football team. After his first stint in college, he enlisted in the Air Force, serving four years that took him overseas to Thailand and Guam. It was during his service that he began training as an aircraft mechanic. Following his time in the Air Force, he enrolled at Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida, where he was active in the Vet Club. Brian graduated with an associate’s degree in Aviation Maintenance Technology in 1978.

Brian put his degree to work and devoted more than 41 years to supporting Honeywell and its predecessor companies, the U.S. Armed Forces, and allied militaries that operate the M1 Abrams family of vehicles. He provided exceptional service as the CSE supporting the KSARNG Guard, the A‑Team, the Egyptian Armor Authority, and the TIGER program.

Brian was truly dedicated to the love of his life, Allison. When Brian and Allison were first introduced by Brian’s sister, Karen, the timing wasn’t quite right. But when they met again, everything fell into place, and they began a beautiful courtship. The two were married on July 22, 1984, in Brian’s sister, Lyn’s backyard, surrounded by family and friends. They settled in Harwinton, Connecticut, where they welcomed three children: Zachary William, Kathleen Hope, and Brianna Noel. In 1996, the family relocated to Glendale, Arizona.

As a man of faith, Brian belonged to Immaculate Heart of Mary in Connecticut where he began his work with children’s religious education. He continued this work for many years at St. James Roman Catholic Parish in Arizona. Brian also served on the church council and was active in the Knight’s of Columbus.

Another of Brian’s passions was Scouting. He and his son Zachary began the scouting journey in CT and joined Cub Scout Pack 526 in Glendale, AZ, where Brian stepped in as an Assistant Scoutmaster and became one of the early leaders helping to build the troop. He was a Committee Member and also spent some time as the troop’s Religious Leader. Later, he became a Committee Member for the newly formed Venturing Crew 2526 so that his daughters, Katie and Bree, could enjoy the adventures of Scouting as well.For his decades of service, Brian was awarded the Council’s District Award of Merit and the council’s highest honor, the Silver Beaver. The Catholic Church recognized his dedication with the Saint George Medal for his work helping Scouts earn their Religious Awards. He was also a member of Scouting’s Wipala Wiki Order of the Arrow 432 Lodge, where he was honored with the Vigil Level for his exceptional service.

A naturally social person, Brian was often the last to leave any gathering. He loved building and flying remote‑control airplanes with the Balsa Bandits. A lifelong reader, he always had a book nearby. He enjoyed gardening as well, continually tending and improving the back‑patio gardens right up to the end. Allison was always grateful for his enthusiasm in the kitchen—he took a keen interest in cooking and was truly wonderful at it.

Brian was a man of many hobbies, but his greatest joy was spending time with his family. In addition to being a tremendous dad to his three children, he loved his bonus children, Katie’s husband, Joe Dare, Zach’s wife, Taylor Fitzgerald along with his three grandchildren - Joey and Lily Dare and Rowan Ferber. In addition to his immediate family he also leaves behind a large, much-loved extended family who will miss him greatly.

A funeral mass will be held at St. James Roman Catholic Parish in Glendale, AZ on May 14th at 10:00 am. There will also be a Celebration of Life in Suffield, CT on June 7th. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the St. James Youth Group.