Retired Army Col Robert G. Ferrari passed away Aug 8, 2021 at age 84 after a long battle with a variety of health issues, which he battled ferociously to the very end. He was proud of his family, his friends, his notable life accomplishments, and his military commitment to serving his country throughout the world over a 30-year span.
Bob’s military career consisted of numerous challenging deployments in Virginia, New Jersey, Maryland, Georgia, White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, Utah, Heidelberg, Germany, the Panama Canal Zone, and two year-long tours in Vietnam. He excelled in leadership positions throughout his career.
In the military, Bob was awarded two Bronze Medals, an Air Medal for Combat service, two Legion of Merit medals, two Meritorious Service medals, and a peacetime Humanitarian Service medal.
Bob distinguished himself his entire life as a star athlete at Bishop Manogue High School (he’s in the Manogue Hall of Fame) and later earned eight varsity letters in three sports at the University of Nevada. After retirement from the military in 1988, Bob was asked by Gov. Richard Bryan to serve the State of Nevada and clean up the backlog of buildings overseen by the Public Works Boards. In four years, Bob supervised the completion of the new Carson City Supreme Court and State Library, the Ely and Lovelock prisons, DRI faculty in Las Vegas, UNLV Health Science Building, Community College facilities in Las Vegas, Henderson, Elko, Carson City and Reno. He then served Washoe County as an educator for seven years teaching Technology at Sparks Middle School and coaching girl’s basketball. After his second retirement he became a successful developer of family properties.
Over the years, Bob and his family were quiet philanthropists, donating generously to schools and numerous local non-profits. Some of his notable ongoing contributions were to the University of Nevada Foundation, Boys and Girls Clubs of Truckee Meadows and North Lake Tahoe, St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, The Catholic Services Appeal, Food Bank of Northern Nevada, and Bishop Manogue High School.
His academic achievements were noteworthy. Bob was Valedictorian at Manogue before graduating from the University of Nevada with a degree in Civil Engineering and a teaching certificate. While serving in the army, Bob received a Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering from Oklahoma State University, a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Utah, and completed the Army War College.
Bob met wife Audrey Bernard at the university, and they married in 1959. They were married for 61 years before her passing in 2020. She was an excellent army wife and they raised four children that were adaptable army brats stationed all over the US and abroad. Many of Bob’s deployments to war and natural disasters left Audrey and the children at home, where they were very active in sports and activities. Bob always found time to coach and participate when he was not deployed. In later years, he loved to watch his grandchildren play ball and dance, and he rarely missed a chance to cheer on the Wolf Pack. The older grandchildren affectionately called him Nonno, until his oldest granddaughter coined the name Bobbo and it stuck.