Anthony T. Ferrelli

“No Mission Too Difficult. No Sacrifice Too Great. Duty First!” Few men epitomized the spirit of the United States Army’s First Infantry Division, known as “The Big Red 1”, more than Anthony T. Ferrelli. Mr. Ferrelli, 88 of Aurora, passed away Feb. 3 at Presence Mercy Medical Center surrounded by his loving family. Born Nov. 26, 1927 in Burlington N.J. to first generation Italian immigrants Vincenzo and Venanzia Ferrelli, “Tony” volunteered for the United States Army upon graduating from High School. As a member of the First Infantry Division and 26th Infantry Regiment, he would go on to serve the country he so loved for 21 years and become a highly decorated soldier, retiring as a Sergeant Major in 1967. During his Army career, he served in many locations including Germany, Japan and Korea overseas; and Ft. Benning, Ft. Leonard Wood, Ft. Bragg, and others in the United States. He was twice stationed at Marmion Academy where he taught ROTC. Many of Aurora’s citizens still remember him as a knowledgeable, tough, but always fair instructor. In 1966 before retiring from active service, Anthony volunteered for duty in Vietnam. His bravery and gallantry on the battlefield earned him the Silver Star--- the Army’s third highest combat medal---for his actions over a two-day period in March, 1967 when his outfit engaged a Viet Cong base camp and found themselves vastly outnumbered by 2000 enemy soldiers. According to a 1967 Chicago Tribune article, Alexander M. Haig, his Commanding Officer at the time, said Tony “was all over the battlefield, checking out the positions, helping men with the wounded, and rallying his troops…” His last act just before boarding the helicopter which would take him out of Vietnam to begin his journey back to the United States and into retirement was to return the medal to his superiors. He enclosed it in a note that read, “The Silver Star is awarded for specific acts of gallantry. I cannot remember performing any such acts. Therefore, I am not worthy of such recognition.” He also insisted that the medal not be reflected on his Army Service Record. His actions, which caught the attention of the media across the United States, earned him the nickname “The Humble Hero”. During his career he also earned the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and several others. After his retirement from the Army, Anthony served 23 years as a letter carrier with the United States Post Office where his reputation for toughness and fairness was frequently a point of contention with his supervisors. Capitalizing on his Army experience where he was always prepared for battle, Tony seldom lost the disagreements which earned him honor and respect by both management and his fellow employees. His mail routes were mostly on the City’s West Side where Tony’s familiar whistling signaled the forthcoming deliveries to his loving customers. Only God and his family were loved more by Anthony than his country. He was a devoted member of Holy Angles Church where he was a popular fixture every Sunday morning at 6:45 mass. A pivotal moment in his Tony’s life occurred at a USO dance in Chicago in 1951 when he spotted a striking brunette standing across the room. After telling a friend that was the woman he was going to marry, he approached her, asked her to dance, and learned her name was Joan Novak. As he predicted, they married on April 19, 1952, and their dance went on to last almost 64 years. Known as “Tony and Joan” in the neighborhood where they would spend over ½ century, they were the proud parents of four sons: Michael (who preceded him in death), Christopher, Mark (Wendy), and Daniel. Aside from his wife and sons, Anthony is also survived by his grandchildren, Matthew, Megan (Colin), Anthony (Kate), Celia and Mark; and great grandchildren, Lana, Logan and Giovanni; brother Pasquale; and many nieces and nephews. He was also preceded in death by his parents; his brothers, Umberto, Daniel, Dominick and Joseph; sisters Edith and Margaret; and daughter-in-law Denise. Funeral services will be held at 9:30 a.m., Tuesday, Feb. 9 from The Daleiden Mortuary, 220 N. Lake St., to Holy Angels Church, 180 S. Russell Ave. at 10 a.m. Interment will follow at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, 278 Ashland Ave. Visitation will be held from Monday, Feb. 8 from 3 to 8 p.m., at The Daleiden Mortuary. In lieu of flowers please make contributions to the Marmion Academy Fund, 1000 Butterfield Rd., Aurora, IL 60502. The family wishes to extend its profound appreciation to all of the members of the Aurora Fire Department, especially Paramedic David Christenson; the devoted nurses at Presence Mercy Medical Center including Sammi and Giana; the staff at the Aurora Dialysis Center; his live-in caretakers Helena and Trisha; and neighbors Gary and Sarah for making Anthony’s journey into eternal rest so much easier. A special thank you is extended to Steve Gustavson for his unending devotion to making sure Anthony’s spiritual needs were addressed in his last weeks.

Anthony T. Ferrelli

November 26, 1927 - February 3, 2016