Obituary of Denis G. Ferentinos

Denis Ferentinos, artist, intellectual, raconteur, passed away suddenly on July 17, 2020, after a long struggle with chronic pain that left him physically and emotionally debilitated. Through it all, though, he was the Denis we all knew: smart, funny, talented and creative. He loved his wife, Mary Beth Wenger; his dogs Moo and Sophie; and those others who were in his small inner circle, most notably his sister Stephanie and their friend Sue Averill. His outer circle was much bigger, and reflected a life of – as he liked to describe himself – a popular party guest. From his tight group of friends from high school in Cazenovia to his years as social director of his fraternity at Syracuse University, through his work as a sports club manager in Chicago to his time as director of marketing at the Hotel Syracuse, he charmed people with his easy wit and cleverness. He had an encyclopedic knowledge of a vast array of topics and could talk to practically anyone about anything. In recent years, he tapped into his old social director skills, pulling together the FIGI fraternity brothers for events where they could reminisce about their youthful days and catch up on current events in their lives. Denis enjoyed photography from a young age and pursued it professionally for a time. For the last 20 years, his artistic talent expressed itself through his work as a restoration contactor, a furniture restorer and craftsman, and his most recent metal work art which was sold in Saratoga. Many of the sculptures were of dogs, with which he had a special affinity. Families were so taken with his unique ability to capture the dog’s personality, that he was specially commissioned to make metalwork portraits. His work was innovative and beautiful. For several years, he travelled to New York City every weekend to sell at the famous 26th Street Flea Market, and was also a regular at the antiques fairs at Brimfield and Bouckville. He was involved with the wonderful Bournebrook antiques co-op in Troy and with several shops in Hudson. Denis was an avid reader, with a life-long love of science fiction. He loved British comedies of all stripes, from Absolutely Fabulous to The Detectorists. He also enjoyed skiing for many years, and loved his time as a volunteer with STRIDE Adaptive Sports. Those of us who loved Denis are heartbroken that he has left us too soon, but take solace in the knowledge that his pain is over now and hope that he is at peace. Because of the current pandemic, there will be no memorial service. The family has chosen a living urn that will be planted near his shop in Melrose, where he was happy with his wife, his dogs and his art. While certainly not expected, if you are inclined to make a donation in Denis’ memory, please consider the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society https://mohawkhumane.org/ or the Siberian Husky rescue group http://tundraspirits.com/ .