Upper Shore Aging (USA) recently hosted a re-dedication of the Amy Lynn Ferris Adult Activity Center in Chestertown. Pictured left to right are Herb Cain, Executive Director of Upper Shore Aging, artist Evie Baskin, who painted the portrait; and Kay Brodie, President of the Upper Shore Aging Board of Directors, in front of the new portrait of Amy Lynn Ferris, for whom the Amy Lynn Ferris Adult Activity Center is named.
Upper Shore Aging (USA) recently hosted a re-dedication of the Amy Lynn Ferris Adult Activity Center in Chestertown. The Constance and Carl Ferris Foundation recently donated $35,000 to update the Center's kitchen, including purchasing new appliances and repainting the Center. A special addition to the re-dedication included unveiling a new painting of Amy Lynn Ferris, the couple's daughter, which now hangs in the lobby of the Center.
"I am proud to be a part of this organization and the wonderful work that we do. Every morning during the week, I look out the window and this parking lot is full. The senior population in Maryland is growing. People are living longer and healthier lives. Recent statistics show that 27% of the population of Kent County is over 60 years of age. This center is providing a wonderful resource to help this growing demographic of our population. It makes me proud as the new executive director of Upper Shore Aging, to be a part of this," shared Herb Cain, Executive Director of Upper Shore Aging.
Rosemarie Curlett, Manager of the Amy Lynn Ferris Adult Activity Center, shared, "I was here when the building was built 21 years ago. I want to thank all the staff for bringing so much activity to this building in the past year."
Kay Brodie, President of the Upper Shore Aging Board of Directors, shared some history about the Ferris family, sharing that they moved to Rock Hall from the Philadelphia area in 1986. She added, "They have done so many things for Kent County as a whole, in addition to supporting this building for Upper Shore Aging. After they both passed away, the Constance and Carl Ferris Charitable Operating Foundation, Inc. was set up, benefiting several organizations in Kent County."
According to Upper Shore Aging, Amy Lynn Ferris was active in helping various charities, in particular Habitat for Humanity of Chester County. She cared deeply about helping those less fortunate and Rock Hall, where her parents retired, and where she visited, held a special place in her heart. Because there was never a picture of Amy Lynn Ferris, for whom the Center was named, Upper Shore Aging decided to have a portrait of Amy Lynn painted by local artist Evie Baskin, a partner with the Artists Gallery in Chestertown since 2015 who enjoys doing portrait commissions and landscapes.
"I never had a chance to meet Amy Lynn Ferris as she died in 2002 at the age of 48. The only photograph available of Amy at that time was a bit of a challenge. I never met her, so I didn't know much about her personality. I have learned a lot since then. She was the daughter of Carl and Constance Ferris. She lived outside of Philadelphia at the end of her life."
"My goals in doing her portrait were to try to capture her spirit, along with her likeness. I decided to include the background of the family estate - Kimbolton - in Rock Hall. So, I hope you will see Amy as a happy, loving, and kind young woman filled with gentle spirit and the love of water and life," Baskin commented.
According to Upper Shore Aging, Connie and Cal Ferris met and married at Cornell University in New York. Mr. Ferris worked for the DuPont Company in Wilmington, Delaware for 17 years before becoming a franchise of Burger King restaurants in Pennsylvania in 1963. Mr. and Mrs. Ferris owned and operated all of the Burger Kings in Bucks and Montgomery counties for 23 years. After his retirement in 1986, Carl Ferris and his wife divided their time between Naples, Florida, and Lankford Creek in Rock Hall.
The Amy Lynn Ferris Adult Activity Center is located at 200 Schauber Road in Chestertown and is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. daily. For further information on program offerings, visit uppershoreaging.org or call 410-778-2564.