Marie Ferran

COOKEVILLE CHAPEL - Marie Ferran, born on August 14, 1957, in Rockledge, Florida, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, February 19th, 2025, at Alive Hospice in Murfreesboro, Tennessee at the age of 67. Marie moved to Cookeville in 1973 and quickly embraced Cookeville as her new home town, graduating from Cookeville High School in 1975. Marie continued her education at Tennessee Tech University where she made lifelong friends with Dee Moore (Wells) and Robin Dulling (Myer). Marie studied nursing before finding her passion in law, graduating from the University of Memphis' Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. Marie managed to combine her natural compassion and empathy which drew her to nursing with her innate intellect and analytical side into a meaningful career that would enrich her community and those around her.

Marie served with distinction as the Executive Director for the Area Agency On Aging, where she worked tirelessly and with compassion as an advocate for the elderly, impacting numerous lives in her community. A faithful member of Cookeville First United Methodist Church, she embraced a life filled with service to others. Marie has always been the go-to person for her family, adopting her grand niece and nephew Joseph & Alyssa Thomas and raising them with the fiercest of love. She was always there for many other families in the community in celebration or when they were faced with the many challenges of life. Marie dedicated years of service to many community activities, including sitting on boards for organizations that protect women from domestic violence and breast cancer and serving in shelters for at risk youth. As well, Marie was an outspoken advocate for health care equality, donating her professional services outside of the scope of her regular job all too often. To her great enjoyment, Marie volunteered her time year after year for various youth and community theater groups. Marie made lasting friendships in theatre, and mentored many generations of theatre kids. Her passing is too soon, she was loved by many and will be missed by all.

Marie is survived by her adopted son, Joseph Thomas, and her adopted daughter, Alyssa Thomas. She is also mourned by her brother, Greg (Machelle) Ferran, of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and her sisters, Karen Dubree and Marcie Ferran of Cookeville, along with Kim Ferran-Holt and her husband Stephen of London, England. In addition to her immediate family, she leaves behind several nieces and nephews: Nicholas and Christopher Ferran, and Reba and Anthony Thomas, as well as her grand-nieces and grand-nephews, Dalton, Logan, and Kaden Thomas. Marie will be remembered fondly by her life-long friend, Bob Spence

Marie was preceded in death by her parents, Pedro Antonio and Delores Marcene Dodd Ferran, and her brother, Gary William Ferran.

A memorial service celebrating her life will be held on March 8, 2025. There will be a gathering and visitation from 11:00am with a service at 12:00pm at Cookeville First United Methodist Church, located at 165 East Broad Street, Cookeville, Tennessee 38501. There will be a reception following the service in Jeff Wall Hall.

If you would like to share photos of Marie please email them to: mferranPix@gmail.com.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Aging Services for the Upper Cumberland by mail at 580 S Jefferson Ave, Ste B, Cookeville, TN 38501 or stop by Southeast Bank. This is a service close to Marie's heart. Aging Services for the Upper Cumberland serves individuals over the age of 60 and other adults with disabilities in fourteen counties.

In lieu of flowers, donations can also be made at https://gofundme.com/f/secure-the-future-of-maries-twins or stop by Bank One under Kim and Greg Ferran.

The Cookeville Chapel of Hooper, Huddleston & Horner Funeral Homes is in charge of arrangements 931-526-6111. Share condolences and memories at www.hhhfunerals.com