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Parker man remembered for love of people
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| Michael Ferm |
By Chris Michlewicz
A Parker man who served as a mentor to hundreds of people and emphasized a focus on customer service passed away last month.
Michael Ferm, 66, died at his home in the Pinery Dec. 23 after an eight-year battle with cardiomyopathy, or a weak heart muscle.
Ferm, a resident of Parker for 32 years, was well known for influencing and guiding several insurance agents who served under him at three separate health insurance companies in Denver. He was so highly regarded in the industry, Ferm was the first recipient of the Career Excellence Award from the Colorado Group Insurance Association.
As his heart was failing, Ferm was accepted to the University of Colorado’s heart transplant program and was near the top of the list when he entered the hospital in November. After a battery of tests, however, doctors found significant damage to his liver as a result of the heart condition, and he was removed from the list. Doctors said his body was not strong enough to withstand the intensive surgery.
After learning the news, Ferm said he “went from the penthouse to the outhouse.”
Ferm, who for 24 years helped organize annual golf tournaments for the Denver Special Olympics and single-handedly raised thousands of dollars for the organization by selling raffle tickets, spent his final weeks at home with his family and friends, said his wife, Carolyn Ferm.
“He was able to tell everyone how much he loved them, and how proud he was,” says an excerpt from his obituary. “He was also able to tell his wife how happy he was and that he had been more successful than he had ever dreamed he could be.”
As a sales manager, district manager and later as a consultant, Ferm distinguished himself and shaped the careers of many successful insurance agents. His love for people apparently rubbed off on his son, Kevin, who now serves as a committee member for the American Diabetes Association.
More than 500 people attended his funeral Dec. 30, 2008 at Ave Maria Catholic Church in Parker. Three people, including Kevin, delivered eulogies at the service, which was punctuated by singing and flowers. The reception was at the Pinery Country Club, where Ferm was a member for 34 years, Carolyn Ferm said.
Although it was painful for Carolyn to lose him two days before Christmas, she will forever cherish a pair of earrings her husband gave her as a final gift and an enduring symbol of their love, she said.
Michael Ferm, 66, died at his home in the Pinery Dec. 23 after an eight-year battle with cardiomyopathy, or a weak heart muscle.
Ferm, a resident of Parker for 32 years, was well known for influencing and guiding several insurance agents who served under him at three separate health insurance companies in Denver. He was so highly regarded in the industry, Ferm was the first recipient of the Career Excellence Award from the Colorado Group Insurance Association.
As his heart was failing, Ferm was accepted to the University of Colorado’s heart transplant program and was near the top of the list when he entered the hospital in November. After a battery of tests, however, doctors found significant damage to his liver as a result of the heart condition, and he was removed from the list. Doctors said his body was not strong enough to withstand the intensive surgery.
After learning the news, Ferm said he “went from the penthouse to the outhouse.”
Ferm, who for 24 years helped organize annual golf tournaments for the Denver Special Olympics and single-handedly raised thousands of dollars for the organization by selling raffle tickets, spent his final weeks at home with his family and friends, said his wife, Carolyn Ferm.
“He was able to tell everyone how much he loved them, and how proud he was,” says an excerpt from his obituary. “He was also able to tell his wife how happy he was and that he had been more successful than he had ever dreamed he could be.”
As a sales manager, district manager and later as a consultant, Ferm distinguished himself and shaped the careers of many successful insurance agents. His love for people apparently rubbed off on his son, Kevin, who now serves as a committee member for the American Diabetes Association.
More than 500 people attended his funeral Dec. 30, 2008 at Ave Maria Catholic Church in Parker. Three people, including Kevin, delivered eulogies at the service, which was punctuated by singing and flowers. The reception was at the Pinery Country Club, where Ferm was a member for 34 years, Carolyn Ferm said.
Although it was painful for Carolyn to lose him two days before Christmas, she will forever cherish a pair of earrings her husband gave her as a final gift and an enduring symbol of their love, she said.
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