Dorothy Katherine (Neely) Ferranti

Dorothy Katherine Ferranti - loving mother, grandmother, sister and lifelong nurse and caregiver - passed away on November 15 at the age of 73 in Medford, Oregon. She leaves behind a lifetime of service and accomplishment and a remarkable dedication to putting others before herself. 

Dorothy was born in 1951 in New Rochelle, New York, to Robert and Dorothy Neely. Her father was in the Air Force, and she lived all over the U.S., from Northern Maine to Ohio and California. 

In 1973, she graduated with an associate’s degree in nursing and moved to Berkeley, California. In her words, she was “a motivated hippie out to change the world.” Her first job was at St. Luke's Hospital in the Mission District of San Francisco. She served there for 15 years, with love and compassion, as the AIDS crisis devastated that community.

Shortly after graduating from San Francisco State University with a bachelor of science in nursing, she was blessed with twin daughters, Elizabeth and Katherine.

In the early 1980s, Dorothy and her family moved to Paso Robles, California, and welcomed her youngest daughter, Emily. Dorothy worked at Twin Cities Community Hospital for 20 years, before moving on to manage a freestanding clinic for a group of gastroenterologists.

Dorothy had joined the Army Reserves in the mid-1990s to earn money for an advanced education. Instead, she was put on active duty relocating to Sacramento to serve her country as her father had before her. 

During a visit to Ashland, Oregon, to see her daughter and grandchildren, Dorothy learned of a veteran’s clinic in the Rogue Valley, which she saw as a unique opportunity to bring together her lifetime of skills, wisdom and passion, while being closer to her family.

Dorothy is survived by her daughters and their families - Katherine and Guy Anderson, Emily and John Bambery, and Elizabeth and Nathan Barr; her grandchildren Kenzie, Wyatt and Zoe Anderson, Juniper Bambery, and Caroline and Hamilton Barr; and her brothers and their spouses: Bill and Jeanne Neely and Bob and Jeanne Neely and their extended families.

A celebration of life is planned  for Saturday, June 28 at 3:00 PM at St. James Episcopal Church in Paso Robles. If you are interested in attending the gathering, please contact any of her family members. 

In lieu of flowers, Dorothy would ask you to support your local theatre, live music venue, and local public radio station.

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