Michael G. Ferri

Michael G. Ferri, son of the late Ferdinand E. and Margaret Maginn Ferri, died at his home in Mount Pleasant with loved ones about him on Friday, August 7, 2026, after a short illness. He was always proud to be a native Charlestonian, and would tell people that he was "born right here on Calhoun Street."

Michael was an intense and quick-footed point guard for the 1963 Bishop England basketball team that won the first South Carolina State Championship, the first time for the school. He received degrees in Philosophy from Xavier University and the University of Notre Dame, and a Ph.D. in Economics from UNC-Chapel Hill. His long career as a finance professor included teaching at the University of Kentucky and the University of South Carolina, and holding endowed chairs at John Carroll University and George Mason University. He served as Senior Research Scholar at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and Vice-President for Economic Research at the NASD (parent company of the NASDAQ). He was an expert witness on securities litigation in state and federal courts and served for many years as an expert consultant for the U.S. Department of Justice.

Michael's international academic conferences afforded his wife Mary a chance to join him and experience the food and culture of London, Vienna, Rome, much of Ireland, and his beloved Paris.

Besides being an outstanding basketball player, Michael was a first-rate pitcher and enjoyed coaching teams in both sports. As a frustrated first base coach, he had a t-shirt printed with “GO TO SECOND” which is still a prized possession of the family. Michael delighted in teaching baseball to very good teenage soccer players who had never played. He was heard to mutter occasionally, “What kind of a sport is it that you can’t use your hands!” He later saw its strong athleticism, especially as children and grandchildren played. It is gratifying that many of the boys he coached years ago have commented on his positive influence. That the family traditions of sports, academics, and the Catholic faith remained strong was a source of great comfort to him. As his children and grandchildren grew, he learned to appreciate athletics as diverse as rugby, wrestling, lacrosse, swimming and diving, and Irish Dance.

For the last nine years of his life, Michael was mostly homebound but enjoyed a good cigar and a glass of red wine, and having lively debates with guests. He was an excellent raconteur, especially when recounting his travels abroad for academic conferences. Calls with former colleagues and regularly held Zoom meetups with fellow Xavier alumni always enlivened him and cheered him for days.

Michael is survived by his wife of 57 years, Mary Mountain Ferri; his daughter, Catherine Schofield (Frank); his sons, John (Mary D), Thomas, and Matthew (Katherine); and thirteen grandchildren: Sister Elia Rose Ferri, O.P., Joseph, Melissa, Levi, Dominic, David, Jonathan, and Annie Ferri, and Michael, Sean, Therese, Bridgette, and Felicity Schofield. He is survived by his brothers Edward (Brenda) and Paul (the late Gail) Ferri; his sister, Mary Ferri Jones; his sister-in-law, Kathleen Nicoll (Gregory); and seven nieces and nephews. Also mourning his passing is his large extended family from the Maginn family, which has roots on Sullivan’s Island.

Special thanks to his PT Leo Albano, who helped Michael with his long struggle to walk again, and to his wonderful home health personnel Ed Long and Leslie Greathouse. Thanks also to Lutheran Hospice of South Carolina, and to his very competent and loving caregivers and friends of many years, Mila Garro, Amanda Bowling, and Jessica Pearce.

The Visitation for Michael Ferri will be from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. (Rosary at 6:00) on Thursday, August 13th at McAlister-Smith Funeral Home, Mount Pleasant, SC.

The Rite of Christian Burial will be on Friday, August 14th at 11:30 a.m. at Stella Maris Catholic Church, Sullivan’s Island, SC. Memorial donations may be made to the Stella Maris Building Fund or the St. Vincent de Paul Society at Stella Maris Church, P.O. Box 280, Sullivan’s Island, SC 29482.

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to McAlister-Smith Funeral and Cremation, Mount Pleasant, 1520 Rifle Range Road, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464, 843-884-3833.