FARMINGDALE, N.Y. (PIX11) — It was a somber day at St. Kilian Parish in Farmingdale on Long Island on Wednesday.
The church was adorned with green, the color of Farmingdale High School, as the casket of Beatrice Ferrari was carried into the private funeral service. Hundreds of mourners, family, friends, students and dignitaries said goodbye to Ferrari, a retired social studies teacher.
Ferarri died chaperoning the Farmingdale High School band on their ill-fated trip to a band camp in Pennsylvania. The grandmother and mother of two was killed along with the school band director, Gina Pellettiere, when their chartered bus careened off Interstate 84 and down an embankment in Orange County almost a week ago.
Most mourners wore some article of green clothing to honor and show togetherness.
Ferarri taught social studies at Farmingdale High School for 30 years, and even in retirement, her love for students never waned.
The wake for Pellettiere is now in its second day, with her funeral service set for Thursday morning at Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church in Massapequa Park.
Pelletierre taught at the school for 13 years and was a single mother of a 2-year-old girl.
The investigation into what went wrong continues. Gov. Kathy Hochel said the preliminary investigation indicates a faulty front tire may have contributed to the crash.
