Mary Therese Di Ferrante

Mary Therese “M.T.” Di Ferrante, née Cotter, passed away on Saturday, the 12th of November 2016 at age of 87. Born on the 5th of September 1929 in St. John, New Brunswick, Canada, M.T., the only child of Charlotte Aiton Cotter and William J. Cotter, spent her childhood in Eastern Canada’s Maritimes. In 1950, M.T. earned her B.S. in Nutrition Science and English at St. Francis University (Antigonish, Nova Scotia). Her early career path in Canada included commercial restaurant management, a Dietetics and Management internship at St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, and a position as Chief of Food Service in a Nova Scotia hospital. M.T. was recruited to manage food services at Rockefeller University Hospital, New York City where she met and, in 1956, married Italian scientist Dr. Nicola Di Ferrante. They became U.S. citizens and followed his career to Brookhaven, Long Island; Rochester, New York; New York City; Cincinnati, and Boston before moving to Houston in 1965.

In Houston, M.T. became consultant to NASA’s meal-testing program for Apollo astronauts. After a year as therapeutic dietician with M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, she joined Houston’s Department of Health and Human Services where she worked for twenty-eight years coordinating nutrition programs such as Houston’s WIC program, earning promotions and accolades along the way. After earning her Masters of Public Health Administration from UT School of Public Health in 1981, she advanced into Department management. Until her retirement in 1988, M.T. held adjunct faculty appointments at several U.S. universities and actively participated in and led many professional organizations. She was a tireless advocate for good nutrition, especially as regards children, and, to this effect, she testified before both state and federal Hunger Task Forces and participated in countless community service organizations.

A longtime member of St. Michael’s parish, M.T. was preceded in death by her former husband and close friend Nicola Di Ferrante. She is survived by her children, Barbara Di Ferrante (spouse Henry Popkin) of Seattle; Stephen, Christian and Paola Di Ferrante, of Houston; her grandchildren, Rachel Popkin (spouse Jenn Popkin) of Seattle and Matthew Popkin (spouse Emily Finley) of San Francisco; and her “adopted” family members, Careen Plummer and John Alexander Calpakis of Houston.

Those who desire to pay their final respects may do so during the calling hours of one o’clock until five o’clock in the afternoon on Sunday, the 20th of November, and from nine o’clock in the morning until five o’clock in the afternoon on Monday, the 21st of November, at Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston.

The funeral mass is to offered at ten o’clock in the morning on Tuesday, the 22nd of November, at St. Michael Catholic Church, 1801 Sage Road in Houston, where the Rev. Leon Strieder, S.L.D, is to serve as celebrant.

In lieu of customary remembrances, the family asks that donations in memory of M.T. Di Ferrante be made to ChildBuilders of Houston, an organization close to M.T.’s heart, at http://childbuilders.org/get-involved/donate/ or you may call them at 713-481-6555 for more information.