George Ferris passed away at the center of his life’s work, said colleagues, who remembered him as a leader with diverse interests and a focus on helping others.
Ferris, chairman of investment bank Ferris Baker Watts, died Monday at age 81 after suffering an apparent heart attack at the firm’s Washington, D.C., offices.
“I think his life’s mission was to lead by example and make other people’s lives better because of the things he could do behind the scenes,” said Steven Ross, Ferris Baker Watts’ senior vice president. “His father was the same way — he lived to 99 — and came to work every day until maybe a month before he passed away.”
Ferris Baker Watts was formed in 1987 by the merger of Ferris and Co., founded by Ferris’ father in 1932, and Baltimore’s Baker, Watts firm. Ferris served as board chairman until the company was acquired earlier this year by a division of the Royal Bank of Canada.
The buyout didn’t weigh on Ferris. The same afternoon the merger closed in June, Ferris swung full-tilt into his duties as chairman of the board of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Washington, Ross said.
“That was in his DNA,” Ross said. “He was a realist about the things that go on in life, and he knew he could make impact with other organizations.”
Kevin Dowdell, acting CEO of the Boys and Girls Clubs, said Ferris was a consummate, driven businessman who started meetings on time and would often walk up the escalators at Metro stations rather than stand still.
“Many [organization directors] who are very accomplished in their fields say that they viewed George as a mentor,” Dowdell said, “and were inspired by him in a way they maybe didn’t expect in the late stage of their careers.”
A 50-year veteran of the investment industry, Ferris was a former governor of the New York Stock Exchange and three-term vice president of the Investment Banker Association, according to information released by Ferris Baker Watts.
He had a special interest in the country of Kenya, earned an MBA from Harvard and an engineering degree from Princeton, and was an athlete, golfer and tennis player, according to the firm.
Ferris is survived by his wife, Nancy Strouce Ferris, five children, several grandchildren and hundreds of colleagues.
“What happens now is we continue to conduct ourselves as if he were here, and make him proud,” Ross said.
Funeral arrangements
Funeral services for George Ferris Jr. begin at 3 p.m. Friday at All Saints Church, 3 Chevy Chase Circle, Chevy Chase.
