Robert W. Ferrell, Jr., M.D., age 81, of Wellesley, MA, passed away on June 16, 2022, after a brief illness. After earning a BA from Bowdoin College, an MS from Tufts, and an MD from USC, he served as chief resident of psychiatry at MGH in 1973. He developed a psychiatric unit in Newburyport and helped to deinstitutionalize the state hospitals. He was instrumental in bringing DBT (dialectical behavior therapy) to state hospitals. For the last 30 years, he provided care for the elderly in long-term care settings, saw outpatients at Riverside Clinic, and had a private practice. He retired in 2022. He was known to be a thoughtful listener and wise with words.
His favorite avocation was singing. He was in the Bowdoin Glee Club, Bowdoin Meddiebempsters, Saengerfest Men’s Chorus, the acapella group Sound Investment and the UUSWH church choir. He was a board member of UUSWH and the Council on Aging. He was also a poet, writer, philosopher, outdoorsman, golfer, and traveler. He had a contagious joie de vivre. He loved outdoor adventures and no mountain was ever too high. He sailed a tall ship, went skydiving, paragliding, skied Tuckerman’s Ravine and the Swiss Alps. One of his greatest joys was traveling with his wife of 56 years, Mimi. They visited 40 countries, with plans to visit more. As an eternal optimist, he welcomed the unplanned and unexpected. He was often heard saying “You never know what’s going to happen, and that’s what makes it interesting.”
He is survived by Mimi; his two daughters, Jessica Parker and Monica Ferrell; his son-in-law Kenneth Meltzer; and his beloved grandsons Will, Hugh, and Jake Parker. Bob was preceded in death by his parents, Robert and Mary Jane Ferrell; and his sister, Maribel Sharkoff.
A Memorial Service will be observed on Sunday, September 25, at 2 PM at UUSWH. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation.