Eric N. Ferguson of Darien and Nantucket, MA passed away peacefully on Thursday, June 4th surrounded by his loving family. He was 93.
Eric was born March 26, 1922 to George and Helen Ferguson in Motherwell, Scotland. The family emigrated to the United States in 1926 and settled in West Orange, NJ. He was a graduate of the West Orange High School, class of 1941. During World War II, he served in the United States Navy in Pensacola, FL. After the war, he attended Rutgers University.
He started his business career with the Chevrolet Division of General Motors before joining the New York Stock Exchange as a member of DeCoppet & Doremus, and then as a partner at Goodbody & Company. After leaving the Exchange, he became involved in a number of venture capital endeavors.
Eric met Anne, his wife of 62 years, in 1948 and they were married on May 11, 1951. After living on Long Island and in New Jersey, the family moved to Darien in 1958. The family summered in Nantucket, MA, and for years, wintered in Manalapan, FL. He was a member of Wee Burn Country Club for 50 years, where he loved to play golf and enjoyed the Friday Round Table lunch. He also loved to play golf at Sankaty Head Golf Club in Nantucket and the Everglades Club in Palm Beach, FL.
Eric was deeply involved in charitable work, local politics, as well as fundraising for the local charities of his communities. In Connecticut, he was involved in the Boy Scouts, Darien YMCA, Darien Library, Salvation Army, Norwalk Community College, Stamford Hospital and the Connecticut Republican Committee. He was especially interested in the Fairfield County Community Foundation who reaches out to so many in need in the area, and Masonic Care. In Nantucket, he supported the Nantucket Conservation Foundation, Nantucket Cottage Hospital, the Boys and Girl’s Club, and the Nantucket Historical Society. In Florida, he held a seat on the board of the JFK Medical Center. In addition to his many local charitable works, he was a Freemason of 65 years and an avid supporter of the National Trust for Scotland. A devoted supporter of so many good causes in the community, he was an inspiration for many future generations of volunteers, philanthropists and politicians. He was a gentleman in every sense of the word. Eric was always warm-hearted and generous in spirit, and his friends felt inspired and encouraged by him to work to make their communities better places in which to live.
Eric was predeceased by his wife Anne in 2013. He is survived by his son G. Neil Ferguson; two daughters Elizabeth R. Ferguson and Barbara Ferguson St. John and her husband Brent; two grandchildren, Ford Robert St. John and Tyler Eric St. John. He is also survived by his sister-in-law Mrs. H. Ward Reighley and Neil’s step-daughter, Siobhan McIlhoney.
The family will dearly miss him for his brilliant smile, kind heart, generous ways, loving support and his incredible gift of laughter.
A memorial service will be held on Friday, June 12, 2015 at 11:00 AM at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 1864 Post Road in Darien, CT. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Nantucket Conservation Foundation, P.O. Box 13, Nantucket, MA 02554, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 1864 Post Road, Darien, CT; or Fairfield County Community Foundation/Ferguson Fund, 383 Main Avenue, Norwalk, CT 06857 (www.fccfoundation.org and please specify Ferguson Fund).