John Wallace Ferree was born on February 17, 1933 in Hammond, IN and left to spend eternity with God on May 4, 2015. He was the son of Thurman and Anna Ferree and had two brothers, Thurman Ferree, Jr. and Jack Ferree and two sisters Patricia Barman and Margo Taylor who have all preceded him in death. John was a Hammond resident throughout his life, living on the same street that he grew up on in his youth. He graduated from Hammond Tech and attended Purdue University’s Calumet Campus. In 1951 he joined the US Marines and rose to the rank of Sargent. John spent 13 consecutive months on the line in Korea as a forward observer. He received the Purple Heart Medal for wounds suffered in combat and was honorably discharged in 1954. He met Sally Stripe of Waukegan, IL while at the Great Lakes Naval Hospital. They were married in 1953 and together had five children; John Jr., Scott, Mark, Lisa and Kent. In 1956, John and his brothers Thurman and Jack reestablished a local moving and storage company that their father had started in 1929. The brothers grew Ferree Moving & Storage to over $4M in annual revenue. In 1960, the brothers started a long haul truck freight operation serving all 48 states. That company eventually became Ferree Transportation and grew to $22M in annual revenue. In 1989 the brothers sold the freight operation to Celadon Trucking Service of Indianapolis.John worked for Celadon for 9 years as Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. He was responsible for sales in Canada, the United States and Mexico. After a one year retirement from Celadon, John started Transport Consultants, a very successful consulting business. John was a member of the Hammond Kiwanis and the Hammond Jaycees, a CCD Teacher at Saint John Bosco for 10 years, CCD Principal at Saint John Bosco for 11 years, President of Saint John Bosco Parents Club 55 – 56, President of the Gary Diocesan School Commission for 9 years and served on many boards and commissions for the Transportation Industry. He was currently serving on the Hammond Community Council. John received many awards including the Jaycee’s Distinguished Service Award, Jaycee’s Milestone Award 1958, Jaycee’s Boss of the Year 1979 and numerous Transportation Industry Awards.John’s life was invested in his family and his faith. He sought God’s will as he lived life in the pursuit of knowledge, in the exploration and understanding of the world around him and in helping his fellow man. He was a devoted husband and best friend to his wife Sally whose love he pursued throughout their marriage. John was a loving father and grandfather who enjoyed spending time around the pool in his backyard, embracing the life, love and laughter of his family. Grandpa John was always warm and comforting to his grandchildren and would teach them something about life whenever the chance arose. John is survived by his wife of 61 years, Sally Ann Ferree (nee Stripe) John (Jacqueline) Ferree, Jr of Miller Beach, IN, Scott (Pamela) Ferree of Tucson, AZ, Mark (Bobbi) Ferree of Highland, IN, Lisa Ferree (Michael Gough) of Munster, IN and Kent (Terri) Ferree of Winfield, IN along with 12 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren. A wake will be held at Kish Funeral Home, 10000 Calumet Avenue, Munster, IN on Thursday May 7, 2015 beginning at 2:00 PM with Marine Corps Military Honors ceremony at 8:00. A funeral mass will be celebrated at Saint John Bosco Catholic Church 7113 Columbia Ave, Hammond, Indiana on Friday May 8th at 10:00 with visitation 30 minutes prior. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to Saint John Bosco School or Hospice of the Calumet Region.