Georgette Davis Ferrante “Gette” passed away peacefully on August 2, 2024, surrounded by her children.
Georgette Ferrante
Born in January 1933 in New York City to Philip and Beverly Davis, she grew up in Greenwich, CT.
As the only girl in her family, including nearby cousins, she was doted on and beloved by them all. Then tragedy struck her family with the death of her older brother to leukemia when she was just 14, and right after WWII when the world was reeling from so many deaths and senseless destruction. Perhaps this was why she became a peacemaker with a lifelong conviction that war and conflict were idiotic and mostly perpetrated by men.
Avant-garde as her parents were, she called them by name, “Mig” and “Phil.” Her mother was of southern roots in a large fun-loving family. Her father was one of two close but competitive brothers. Gette made a mental note early on that lots of children were better than few. She was an equestrian, an avid reader, and a wonderful student.
She went to Abbot Academy in Andover, MA, and college at Bryn Mawr where she made lifelong friends, one with whom she spent her junior year in Florence. She then left school to marry Giovanni Ferrante di Ruffano, with whom she moved to Pampa, TX and Dugway, UT before settling in Kingston, NJ. They quickly had seven children in nine years, an achievement of which she was very proud and always said she wanted more.
She was the center of a supportive, welcoming home for all of her children’s friends, and the house was always full. She had a way of making everyone feel special and relevant. Several of those Princeton friends attended her 90th birthday celebration last year in CT.
Following her divorce in 1978, she had regretted not finishing college, and so completed her degree at Rutgers with highest honors. She was fluent in three languages. She was a lifelong feminist and an example to all of cheerful, critical thinking and quiet skepticism. Conversation with her was always easy and delightful, enhanced by her willingness to engage on any topic and her amazing memory and knowledge of current and past events in the world and in her family. She seemed to have up to the minute information on the doings of each of her 19 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren when their own parents had difficulty keeping them straight. She was an adroit record keeper and meticulously documented her family history through scrapbooking and video recordings that our family will cherish forever. In that same vein, despite near blindness, she hand wrote 600 pages of her reflections titled “Stuff I Think About,” to pass on to future generations. Her final years were happily spent at Waveny Inn in New Canaan, CT, where she established and led the current events discussion group, and participated in book group, writing group, a French discussion and poetry group, and was appointed to greet new and prospective residents. She is already missed by all who knew and loved her.
In addition to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, she is survived by her children: Giaff (Alison), Cam (Liz McGrath), Gray (Dee Harris), Francesca Segalas, Catherine Tapsall (Mark Loehr), Virginia Ferrante-Iqbal (Manzar Iqbal), and Philip (Pamela), residing in Hingham, Albuquerque, Princeton, New Canaan, Old Greenwich, Nashville and Scottsdale. Burial will be in her mother’s family plot in Yazoo City, MS. There will be a celebration of her life for family and friends on a date to be announced. If you would like to honor Gette’s memory, please consider a donation to NPR and voting!
in time of daffodils(who know
the goal of living is to grow)
forgetting why,remember how
in time of lilacs who proclaim
the aim of waking is to dream,
remember so(forgetting seem)
in time of roses(who amaze
our now and here with paradise)
forgetting if,remember yes
in time of all sweet things beyond
whatever mind may comprehend,
remember seek(forgetting find)
and in a mystery to be
(when time from time shall set us free)
forgetting me,remember me
-ee cummings