Joseph P. Ferguson, father of Father Thomas P. Ferguson, pastor of Good Shepherd Church in Alexandria, died at his Alexandria home at the age of 83 after a long battle with cancer Sept. 11.
Born Feb. 23, 1942, in Brooklyn, N.Y., Joseph graduated from Bishop Loughlin High School in Brooklyn and Manhattan College, and he earned master’s degrees from Fordham University and New York University.
He served for 30 years in the U.S. government in programs supporting the construction of college housing and academic facilities in the Department of Housing and Urban Development; the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare; and the Department of Education.
After retiring from the government, he served at Bishop Ireton High School in Alexandria as alumni director and government teacher, and he was very proud of the honorary diploma he received from Ireton.
“My dad was first and foremost, a man of great faith,” said Father Ferguson. “He was a very deeply devoted Catholic and totally dedicated to his life and vocation as a husband, father, and grandfather in the beautiful Catholic family that he formed with my mom.”
The son of the late Robert A. and Elizabeth Ferguson, Joseph had a brother who was a priest, the late Father Robert A. Ferguson. Joseph and Mary Ann (Geraghty) Ferguson married Aug 21, 1965.
“It was a great blessing that my parents recently were able to celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary,” said Father Ferguson. “My dad was very proud of his government service, and also very grateful to be a part of such beautiful Catholic communities as Good Shepherd Church for more than 47 years, and the Bishop Ireton High School community through us his children and also his grandchildren and through his own service to the school for more than 45 years.”
He is survived by his wife Mary Ann, his children including Father Ferguson, Michael Ferguson (and spouse Dena), Joseph Ferguson Jr. (Colleen), Mary Elizabeth McNicol (William), Brian Ferguson (Vanessa), and Clare Greksouk (John), 20 grandchildren, and nine nieces and nephews.
A Mass of Christian Burial was offered by Father Ferguson and concelebrated by Father John Sullivan of the Washington Province of Discalced Carmelites, with Bishop Michael F. Burbidge and Bishop Emeritus Paul S. Loverde presiding, at Good Shepherd Church Sept. 16.
