Anne Moehle-Ferrara

Anne Moehle-Ferrara passed peacefully on October 28th, 2020 in her home, of cancer.   She is survived by her brother Bill Moehle of Baton Rouge LA, her daughter Tracey Nixon of Hilliard OH, and her son Todd Ferrara of New York City.  She is also survived by her four granddaughters, Hope & Molly Nixon and Julia & Layla Ferrara, her nephews, Christopher & Mark Moehle and niece Denise Schelzo. 

Anne was born April 27th, 1942 to Anne Ziegler and Emil Moehle in Queens NY, and always recalled growing up in post-war New York with great fondness.  Passionate about science, she earned a BS in Biology from Queens College, and embarked on a teaching career at Stuyvesant High School, New York City’s premier public high school, where she enjoyed working until her retirement in 2001.  Anne was an extraordinarily gifted teacher, mentoring many students who won the prestigious Westinghouse (now Intel) Award, and was honored with a number of teaching awards and grants herself. 

Shortly after arriving at Stuyvesant, she caught the eye of a fellow Biology teacher, Ralph Ferrara, and they married in 1966.  They shared an interest in the natural world and were keen gardeners, both at their apartment on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, and later on their 4-acre weekend retreat in Milan Township, Dutchess County, NY.  They started with a small vegetable garden, expanding over the years to an operation that provided produce and canned goods for the entire family. The Ferrara family’s gardening prowess was often on display at the Dutchess County Fair, winning countless ribbons throughout the 1980s. After Ralph’s passing in 2010, Anne served as a volunteer at Hyde Park’s historic Vanderbilt Mansion, helping to restore their extensive gardens. And in her 70s, she took up painting, studying at a Rhinebeck art studio.

She was a great cook and baker, relishing all kinds of food, and collected an international library of favorite recipes from her students, many of whom were from immigrant families.  She was an intelligent, formidable, and fiercely independent woman, and it was a shock to everyone that Anne only lived to 78.  She will be missed as a friend, mother, grandmother, dedicated member of her community, and as a mentor to hundreds of students.  A teacher to the end, she never stopped learning, and enjoyed sharing new ideas, hobbies, plants, and foods with friends, neighbors, and family.  

Due to COVID, there are no current plans for a memorial service.  Donations can be sent to Queens College (www.qc.cuny.edu/supportqc).  That is where Anne got her start in life, and it was her wish to help future generations with their education.

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