Caroline Ferri Abate died at home Jan. 3, 2017, surrounded by her family.

Born in Warren to Mary and Thomas Ferri, she was one of 14 children. Four brothers and four sisters survive her.

Caroline attended Warren High School, leaving school before graduating to help support her family during WWII. At the age of 66, once her five children graduated from college, Caroline completed her studies and received her high school diploma from the Pittsfield Schools June 1992.

Caroline was employed by the City of Pittsfield in 1970, working as a cafeteria aide and cashier at Taconic High School, and later at Pittsfield High School, retiring in 1990. Caroline was an active volunteer at Richmond Elementary School. 

Caroline was married to her husband, Anthony, for 62 years. He pre-deceased her in July 2014. Theirs was a long and loving marriage. The couple enjoyed trips to Italy, the simple pleasures of their country home, many enjoyable evenings at Tanglewood and summers with her children and grandchildren on Martha's Vineyard.

Caroline was the reason her husband was able to have a distinguished career as an engineer. She relocated her young family from Milwaukee, WI, to Charlottesville, VA, to Pittsfield, Mass., to Huntsville, AL, to Coco Beach, Fla., and finally to Richmond, Mass., as her husband's career advanced.

Caroline leaves daughter, Stephanie Abate and her spouse, Suzanne Coffey of Amherst, Mass., and their children, Luke Rioux and his wife, Cary Phoenix, and their children, Charlotte and Axel; daughter Mikaela Rioux; son Bradford Coffey and his wife, Leslie, and their daughters, Sadie, Aria and Kylie; son Mark Coffey and his wife Jamie; daughter Paula Abate and her husband, Frank Virzi, of Holden, Mass., and their children, Margaret and her husband, Lowell Day; son Samuel Virzi and his fiancée Sarah Levine; son Anthony P. Abate II and his wife Deborah Oakes of Cromwell, Conn.; son Nicholas Abate and his fiancée Brittany Wells and son Patrick Abate; daughter Joanne Abate and her husband Thomas Moffatt of Yarmouth, Maine, and their children, Hannah, Thomas William and Emma Moffatt; and son Thomas Abate and his wife Helen Wong of Newton, Mass., and their son Christian Abate-Wong. Caroline also leaves the daughter of her heart, Beth Butrymowicz Horgan, her husband, William Horgan, and their son Ben. 

The Abate family would like to thank Dawn Huttoe who was Caroline and the family's devoted caregiver since 2016. She was Caroline's advocate and showed great compassion and poise during these last difficult months.

Caroline was a devoted mother, grandmother and great grandmother. She would tell her children they were her diamonds.  Caroline made sure all her children could swim and ski, teaching them to ride a bike, drive a stick, write a thank-you note, tip well, never pass a salvation kettle without dropping a coin and, most importantly, help others in need.

Funeral services for Caroline Ferri Abate will be Saturday, Jan. 7, 10:30 a.m. from the Dwyer Funeral Home, 776 North St., Pittsfield, Mass., with a Liturgy of Christian Burial at 11 a.m. at St. Mark’s Church, celebrated by Msgr. Michael Shershanovich, pastor of St. Joseph Church. Burial will follow in Richmond Cemetery. There will be an hour of visitation prior to the service from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Make-A-Wish of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, care of the Dwyer Funeral Home, in her memory.

Please visit www.dwyerfuneral.com to leave condolences and remembrances.