Little Vicki’s Legacy and the Ferrante Family’s Lasting Gift to EKU
Attending an out-of-state college can be a daunting experience. It certainly was for Jon and Vickie Ferrante, who left the New York City area for the rolling hills of Kentucky in 1964.
Infant son in tow, not knowing anyone and with scant financial resources, the former high school sweethearts three years into their marriage settled into a $50-a-month rental home that fronted the Kentucky River near Fort Boonesborough. If the river wasn’t lapping at their doors, a leaky roof was forcing Vickie to wear a raincoat as she washed dishes. Every weekday, Vickie caught a ride into Lexington for her legal secretary job as Jon dropped their son off at a babysitter to attend classes at what was then Eastern Kentucky State College. Then, at day’s end, he would pick up his wife and Jon Jr. and head home.
The Air Force veteran earned a degree in business in 1966 (Eastern’s first class as a newly-minted university) and, after adding a master’s from the University of Kentucky, began a long and distinguished career as a financial analyst with IBM. Little did the young couple know then the travails that awaited.
Their second child, Victoria Mary Ferrante, was born in 1969 and her “joyous personality” was soon evident as the growing family relocated to Germany. At age 5, however, she was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, an often-fatal childhood cancer. Through rounds of surgery and chemotherapy, she “remained cheerful and an inspiration to all her family and many friends” before succumbing in 1979.
Her kind, loving and cheerful personality touched countless lives, and the couple said she will always be remembered as a beautiful, caring and happy little girl. The Ferrantes, now residing in Raleigh, North Carolina, memorialized her brave struggle by establishing the Victoria Mary Ferrante Endowed Scholarship, which specifically assists out-of-state EKU business students.
“It’s so rewarding to know you’re helping others achieve their dreams, so they won’t have to go through what we did,” said Vickie, who later worked as a nurse and real estate broker. “It just makes me feel good.”
The son of an aircraft riveter, Jon came from humble, blue-collar roots but left Eastern with no student debt and, soon, settled into a high-paying job. The long-time financial supporter of Eastern recalls his student days as a “very rewarding experience that told me I could do this.” He worked in the campus bookstore and fondly remembers his manager, Fred Ballou: “The Ballous practically adopted us. He was very encouraging, invited us to dinner at their home and included us in things.”
The bookstore gig was hardly his first retail experience. While he was a teenager, Jon and his parents managed a Brooklyn candy store, working from 6 a.m. to midnight seven days a week, with little or no hired help. He learned the value of hard work and the importance of education.
In 1991, the Ferrantes took on a foster daughter. They never officially adopted Asmet, but consider her their “forever daughter,” also doting on her two children.
“The Ferrante name ends with me,” Jon noted, “but the scholarship will carry the name in perpetuity. Little Vicki will be our legacy.”
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