Mr. Peter Ferry, a beloved former English teacher of 27 years, passed away on Sept. 17. Colleagues, students, and friends remember his inspiring spirit and his abstract approach to teaching and living in the LFHS community that meant so much to him.

Ferry died after a 16-month battle with Merkel Cell cancer. He survived by his wife, Carolyn, and his children, Lizzie and Griffin.

In his years at LFHS, Ferry impacted many lives, including best selling author and LFHS alumnus Dave Eggers, who had a close relationship with Ferry. Eggers is known for his many books, including A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius and The Circle; he also founded McSweeny’s, a popular comedic literary website.

During his time at LFHS, Eggers says he was greatly influenced by Ferry’s teaching, in part because Ferry understood Eggers.

“I was in Mr. Ferry’s honors English class sophomore year, which was dedicated to writing and delivering speeches. The class might have been called “Speech Com”?” Eggers said. “He was a very erudite guy with a wry wit, and he understood the strange sense of humor my friends and I had. We became fanboys of Mr. Ferry, and he was our hero and mentor. And he and I stayed in touch for the next 35 years.”

Eggers credits Ferry for supporting his creative talent through his non-traditional teaching.

“I was a fan of Monty Python, so all of my speeches in his class were in the absurdist vein. His first assignment asked us to write a persuasive speech, so I wrote one persuading people to take a bicycle trip to the inner mantle of the earth. My main reasoning was that it would be downhill.” Eggers said. “I expected him to reject that kind of thing out of hand, given everyone else was writing serious speeches about serious issues, but he rolled with it, and gave me an A. From then on, he was my favorite teacher. Instead of bending me (and others) to fit a certain student-shaped box, he met us where we were. My next speech warned of an imminent sheep takeover of the world.”

Ferry was also a published author. He published two novels, Travel Writing and Old Heart, which won the Chicago Writers Association Novel of the Year award in 2015. His work appeared in numerous publications, including McSweeney’s.

Not only was Ferry a shepherd to his students, but he was also a friend and mentor to his coworkers.

When English teacher Mr. Brad Ruda started at LFHS, he volunteered to help Ferry judge a Forensics Team competition where students perform speeches and compete.

Ruda needed to arrive early in the morning to judge, but failed to show up because he was out late with an old friend at a conference in Milwaukee. The friend had recently gone through a divorce, and Ruda was forced to get a hotel room without enough time to drive back.

“We didn’t have cell phones and I had no way to get a hold of Pete Ferry, so I just left him a voicemail message on his school phone. The next day … he was very, very upset. I knew I owed him an explanation,” Ruda said.

Once Ruda explained the circumstances, Ferry’s anger disappeared.

“Ferry softened and said, ‘I went through a divorce and I know what that’s like. Your friend probably really needed to talk to you, so you did good by sticking up there,’” Ruda said. “After that, he became a real ally for me.”

Ferry greatly valued his connections with both students and colleagues. When Ruda was recovering from surgery and couldn’t teach at the beginning of a school year, Ferry stepped up for his coworker.

“He took one of my classes for three weeks and met me outside of school to just tell me what a great class it was,” Ruda said. “I eased into the transition to starting school because of him. He’d go out of his way to look out for his colleagues.”

Ferry’s ability to see others for who they were and to value them for their qualities extended to other aspects of his life.

“[Ferry’s]s approach to mentoring, similar to his philosophy on teaching and life, revolved around cultivating meaningful relationships through engaging conversation, good food, and drinks,” English teacher Mr. Christopher Finley said. “I believe it was this very human quality that made [Ferry’s] students feel genuinely seen and heard.”

Even after he retired from LFHS, Ferry never gave up his role as a mentor. He cherished his relationship with Eggers, and their mutual respect and admiration has lasted a lifetime.

“I was still sending him my early drafts up until a few years ago. I always wanted his opinion, and he was an excellent and very honest editor,” Eggers said. “So for the teachers out there who think you’re done editing your students’ work after they graduate and you retire, think again!”

Ruda remembers Ferry as not only a mentor, but as a keeper of mysteries.

“He was a brilliant guy that had a Gene Wilder-quality about him, from Willy Wonka.
He had these piercing blue eyes and a sharp, deep voice and whenever you heard his words, you believed him, ” Ruda said. “They were the final word, the word of ‘God,’ so to speak.”

Ferry’s passing came years after his retirement. He is remembered now not only for his intelligence and kindness, but for how he used those qualities to lift up those around him.

“He was really beloved here,” Ruda said. “Some people are liked, some are well liked, and some are beloved.”

This story was originally published on The Forest Scout on September 26, 2024.