Joseph Alden Ferrer Jr.

Joseph Alden Ferrer, Jr. was held by his wife, Margie (aka Alice Marjorie) Perez Ferrer and surrounded by his three adoring daughters Anne Odom (Mike), Theresa Sharaf (Hady), and Maria Riggert (Jayce), when he passed away Saturday morning, June 27, 2020. Joe was often overwhelmed with gratitude for the blessed and full life he had lived and most especially for his five fabulous grandchildren: Alyssa Odom, Tyler Odom, Mallick Sharaf, Lily Sharaf, and Rylan Riggert. Joe was a storyteller. He was born in New Orleans in his family’s home on the corner of Jackson and Magazine on September 9, 1945 to Joseph Alden Ferrer, Sr. and Lucille Louise Leblanc. Joe was very proud of his family’s pharmacy, Ferrer’s Drugs, located on that same corner. He was delightfully similar in personality to his gregarious mother, a real estate agent who “helped develop Metairie” where he spent his childhood “back when Veterans was a gravel road.” He had a wealth of fond childhood memories with his loving sister and brother, Mary Ferrer Senchak and John Ferrer, and their cousins who all contributed tremendous joy to his life. He was a loving brother-in-law to the late Ernie Perez (Lindell), Marshall Perez (Jeri), Roberta Thompson (TJ), Kathleen Perez, Lyn Perez Siebert (Rick), Meriwether Perez McGee (John Long), and Max McGee. He was “Uncle Joe” to Kirk Senchak (Lillian), Ramona Senchak, Hannah Pace, Georgie Pace, Heather Ferrer Oliver, Carley Oliver, Cameron Oliver, Elena Perez, Alicia Perez Perkovich (Brian), Madeline and Aiden Perkovich, Corky Perez (Ashley), Evan, Owen and Drew Perez, Marshall Perez (Laura), Sawyer, Logan and Cassidy Perez, Mike Perez (Katie), Christine Perez, David Walker (Michelle), Julian and Wesley Walker, Mark Walker (Tara), Marcus Walker, Ehren Siebert (Kendra), Eva and Kellan Siebert, Stephen Siebert, Peter Siebert (Rachel), Doug McGee, Kelly McGee (Jeff Gieseler), and Lila, Jeffrey, Tre, and Mason Gieseler.

After attending both LSU and UNO for a short time, Joe became a US Navy medical corpsman assigned to the US Naval Hospital in Philadelphia, PA in October 1966, the 1ST Battalion 4TH Marine, 3RD Marine Division in Vietnam from July 1967 to March 1968, the 3RD Shore Party, 3RD Marine Division in Vietnam from March 1968 to July 1968, and finally to the Naval Air Station, Whiting Field, in Milton, Florida in August 1968. Joe met the love of his life in 1971 at Metairie Hospital where the two worked. They became well acquainted over drinks at the Irish Mist in Metairie’s “Fat City”, and after 48 years of marriage, he still could not believe he’d gotten her to marry him! Joe eventually graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio in 1979. His avocation was photography and cinema, but he earned his livelihood over the years in medical services and medical sales. He retired from BioMed of Louisiana in December 2013 after 27 years with his business partner and dearest friend Dana Louviere (Ginger) of Lafayette. Joe spent his later years traveling the world with his adventurous wife, pouring attention over his grandchildren, enjoying his friends, marching with the Irish Channel St. Patrick’s Day Club, and going to Jazz Fest. Joe was a great man, a deeply nurturing father, open to all people, an all-around fine human being. Almost everyone he met became his friend. His goal was to make everyone around him happy. He loved for everyone to have a good time. His famous saying: “Joe’s bar is always open, Joe’s bar is wherever Joe is, and Joe’s bar is self-serve except for Joe’s mother and Joe’s wife.” As soon as the current pandemic is over, Joe’s family and his many friends will come together to celebrate his life in a way that is as unique and jovial as he was. In the meantime, his family requests that you raise a glass to Joe and share your own stories and memories of him online at www.lakelawnmetairie.com.