Jon Arthur Ferris

Jon Arthur Ferris, beloved son of the late Barbara Tiffany Burt Ferris and Earl Henry Ferris, and beloved husband of Anne “Jake” Ferris, died January 2, 2026, at Cayuga Medical Center, Ithaca, NY.

Jon was born in Hartford, Connecticut, May 25, 1959, and attended public schools in Wethersfield, CT. Jon had many interesting jobs during his short life, and each one seemed to come with an abundance of stories. Jon was a terrific actor, and he told these Emmy-worthy stories durning gatherings of appreciative family and friends.

Jon was a photographer in the Navy, recording such events as meetings with visiting heads of state and photographing other ships . This didn’t keep him busy round the clock, so he had other duties, from refueling aircraft to making breakfast for five thousand of his fellow shipmates. His skills at scrambled eggs were such that he was able to crack four eggs at once.

While driving for a charter bus company, Jon was assigned to take a group of children from NYC to a camp in rural Pennsylvania. Jon had a good sense of direction, but felt momentarily stopped in his tracks when the directions said, “Turn right at the cow.”

Jon was an avid golfer, and at last year’s annual Rankin Invitational in South Carolina, Jon won best overall, tenth flight. We don’t know what that means, but it sounds impressive, and his family is proud of him.

Jon’s last job was stocking shelves during the night shift at Wegmans. In 2015, he heard a great commotion in the next aisle, and upon investigation he found a young woman lying on the floor in a pool of blood. She had grabbed a knife from a shelf and had slit her wrist. Jon could see that she had hit an artery, so he dropped to his knees and put pressure on the wound. Eventually, the ambulance arrived and took her to the hospital. Jon was awarded a Red Cross Hero medal at a ceremony in Binghamton for 10 Heroes who had saved lives. His family is very proud.

When Grace Episcopal Church, Elmira, called for three kings to bring gold, frankincense and myrrh to the altar on Epiphany, Jon was happy to oblige. He sang the 4th verse of “We Three Kings of Orient Are.” No king ever looked more regal in his finery nor carried his precious gift of myrrh more reverently than King Jon.

We are told that we are the salt of the earth. Jon was. He was generous, kind, funny, and he was one of the helpers Mr. Rogers told us to look for. We love him.

Jon was predeceased by his parents, his brother, Earl, his sister, Patricia, and his brother William. He is survived by his wife, Jake, his sister Nancy, his Aunt Gail, nieces Stacey, Melanie, Kimberly, and Tiffany, and by his nephews, Kevin, Kris, and William. The great-nieces and great-nephews are too many to list here, but he loved them all.

Arrangements with Bangs Funeral Home, Ithaca, NY, are pending.