A funeral mass was offered March 23 at Our Lady of Fatima Church, North Bergen, for Theresa V. Ferraro, 90, of North Bergen. She passed away March 17. Theresa began her business career in 1948 and subsequently became the owner of James Nolan, Inc. Insurance Agency in 1965. She had always been involved in local issues and made time to hear and make every effort to improve the state of mind and spirit of North Bergen’s residents. In 1971, she was appointed to the North Bergen Housing Authority and served as a director. In 1986 she assumed the position of chairperson of the authority and has served in that capacity for the past 38 years.
In 1999, she ran for commissioner of the Township of North Bergen and became the first female commissioner in North Bergen’s history. Additionally, in the 1999 election her slate headed by Mayor Nicholas Sacco ran unopposed, also another first in Hudson County. She served as Public Safety Commissioner since 1999 and was proud of bringing the ranks of female police officers from three to well over 13 during that period of time with two additional female offices in the Police Academy at the present time as well as increasing the police department’s ranks to its highest level in recent history. She was the wife of the late Louis D. Ferraro; mother of Anthony V. Ferraro and his wife Maureen Ferraro; grandmother of Anthony Ferraro and his wife Kelly and MaryJo Ferraro Gannon and her husband Gary. Great grandmother of A.J. and Emma. sister of the late Marie Peirano. Also survived by her niece Diane Ingvalusen , nephew Robert Peirano and grand niece Marina Arias and her husband Jonathan. Services arranged by the Vainieri Funeral Home, North Bergen.