Erlinda M. (Alonso) Ferrera

Erlinda Marina Ferrera (born Alonso) passed away peacefully in her sleep on Thursday, December 5, 2024 in Oak Park.  She was just a few weeks shy of her 96th birthday – her birthday would have been on December 31, 2024. Erlinda was a long time resident of Boston, Massachusetts before moving to Chicago in 2022.

Erlinda was born in Cuba in 1928. She and her husband, Federico, fled the communist regime in Cuba in 1962 with their daughters, Maria, Carmen and Pilar to the US for a better life. And they definitely found the American Dream here. 

With only an 8th grade education, Erlinda started working in the mailroom at the New England Life Insurance company and worked her way up to a senior claims adjustor.  She and her husband retired to Boca Raton and bought a house with a pool and enjoyed their retirement years.  

Erlinda loved gardening - especially orchids and roses.  She grew dozens of orchids in her home in Florida. And the  Rose Garden at the Chicago Botanical Gardens was one of her favorite places on the planet.

Erlinda died from Progressive Supranuclear Palsy - a rare neurological condition that is part of the Parkinson's family of brain diseases. They still do not understand the origins of the disease and there is no cure or effective treatment.  So she agreed to donate her brain to the Rush Brain Bank here inChicago so that the specialists and researchers can learn more about this condition.

Erlinda is survived by her two daughters, Maria Ferrera and Pilar Ferrera.  She was one of 7 siblings – is survived by her sister, Eddis Tarano and brother, Angel Valentin Alonso. She was incredibly proud of her grandchildren, Elizabeth Zelko, Kathryn Perry and Daniel Perry.

The family will be having a Celebration of Life memorial in Boston sometime in the spring so that family and friends can attend.

We are asking that, in lieu of flowers, friends and family donate to Cure PSP, an organization dedicated to research and finding a cure.

CurePSP

https://secure2.convio.net/cpsp/site/Donation2?df_id=4320&4320.donation=form1&mfc_pref=