It is with profound sadness that CMS WorldGroup announces the passing of Ali Ferrer, Chief Financial Officer for CMS WorldGroup. Since the start of CMS WorldGroup, Ali was a cherished member of the CMS family, touching the lives of everyone who had the privilege of knowing her with her warmth, grace, generosity, and unforgettable spirit. The following eulogy, lovingly written and delivered by her daughter, Tracy, celebrates Ali’s remarkable life and the enduring legacy of love she leaves behind.
Today we come together not to mourn the loss of an extraordinary woman—our beloved Mommy, Nana, Goofy, Aliti—but to celebrate a life that was beautifully lived and deeply loved.
To most of us, she was Ali. To her grandchildren, she was Nana. To Dad, she was his one and only Goofy. And to everyone who had the privilege of knowing her, she was unforgettable.
If you knew Ali, you knew she was one of a kind. She had a wonderfully quirky personality that could surprise you when you least expected it. She had a contagious laugh that filled every room and invited everyone around her to laugh along. She carried herself with grace and elegance, yet never took herself too seriously. She was generous with everything she had—her home, her time, her wisdom, her empathy, and, most of all, her love.
Her story is one of courage, even though at times she believed she lacked it.
At just fourteen years old, she left Cuba with her parents, her Mamina and her Papi. She left behind her beloved grandparents, her childhood, and everything familiar.
If you asked Mom what her greatest accomplishment was, it wouldn’t have been where she lived. It would have been how she lived and who she loved.
That journey ultimately led her to the love of her life, Charles—our Darry, her Dopey.
Theirs wasn’t just a marriage. It was a love story. The real love story.
For fifty-five years, they walked through life hand in hand. Their love was enduring, intertwined, magical, unwavering, and wonderfully outspoken. They shared adventures, dreams, mischief, overcame challenges, celebrated milestones, raised a family, and built a lifetime of memories together. Few people are fortunate enough to experience a love like theirs.
Their nicknames—Goofy and Dopey—say everything. Behind the elegance and sophistication was a couple who never lost the ability to make each other laugh. They were best friends, partners in everything, and each other’s greatest blessing.
Mom often reminded us that home isn’t simply where you’re born. Home is where love grows. And Mom created a home wherever she went.
She was blessed with three children: Paul, Trudy, and me, Tracy. Watching us grow brought her immeasurable pride.
But one of the greatest joys of her life came later, when she became Nana.
Her five beautiful grandchildren—Ali, Chloe, Pia, Charles, and David—were, and always will be, the light of her life. They brought out her playful side, her gentle spirit, and the mischievous sparkle that never left her eyes. They will forever carry pieces of her within them—in her stories, her laughter, her traditions, and in the unconditional love she gave so freely.
And Mom’s heart was always big enough to make room for more family.
She often said she didn’t have daughters-in-law—she had daughters. Carli and Adriana were never outsiders. She embraced them with open arms and an open heart. She loved them as her own, and they loved her right back.
Mom, thank you for welcoming Adriana with such unconditional love. Your kindness made our family even stronger, and for that I will be forever grateful.
There is a beautiful song that Mom loved, I’ll Be Seeing You. It reminds us that those we love never truly leave us because we continue to find them in the ordinary moments of life.
We’ll see her at family dinners, where laughter echoes around the table.
We’ll see her in quiet acts of generosity, given without expecting anything in return.
We’ll see her in the elegance of a woman who taught us that true beauty comes from kindness.
We’ll see her in every hug between grandparents and grandchildren.
We’ll hear her in an infectious laugh that reminds us not to take life too seriously.
We’ll know she’s near when we hear the gentle clasp of her bangles or bracelets as they sway.
We’ll see her in the courage to begin again, just as she did when she left Cuba, built a new life in Puerto Rico with Dopey with St. Thomas, Panama and Miami pit stops in between, started over again in New York, and finally found her home here in Clearwater.
In Clearwater, she also created another family—her work family. Her office may never be filled in quite the same way again, but it will always be filled with the love and gratitude of her work family members. We’ll see her at the Club, where she felt at home during Sunday brunches and elegant dinners. We’ll see her at familiar places like O’Keefe’s, where everyone knew her name, and she knew everyone’s.
We will see her when Elizabeth comes visit. Thank you for taking such loving care of Mom and our home for the past nine years. Muchas gracias.
Most of all, Dad, you will see her in fifty-five years of memories that no one can ever take away. Those years were a gift. A love like yours doesn’t end because death separates us. It lives on in every memory, every tradition, every smile, and every lesson you shared together.
Mom/Nana taught us that generosity is measured not by what you have, but by what you give.
She taught us that family is life’s greatest treasure.
Today our hearts ache because someone so precious is no longer physically with us. But love like hers doesn’t disappear. It becomes part of us.
Mom/Nana leaves behind an extraordinary legacy: a husband who adored her, children who were blessed by her guidance, grandchildren who will forever know the love of an incredible Nana, daughters in law she chose and loved as her own, and countless family members and friends whose lives are richer because she was part of them.
Today, we find comfort knowing that she is reunited with her Mamina and her Papi, with her beloved grandparents, whom she missed so dearly, and with all the family and friends who went before her. I can only imagine the joy of that reunion.
Thank you, Mom.
Thank you for your courage.
Thank you for your laughter.
Thank you for your grace.
Thank you for your empathy.
Thank you for your unconditional love.
Thank you for showing us how to love with our whole hearts.
As difficult as today is, we know this isn’t goodbye forever.
It is simply goodbye for now.
So until we meet again…
We’ll be seeing you.
We will see you in every act of kindness.
In every family gathering.
In every laugh that fills a room.
In every embrace filled with love.
And one day, by the grace of God, we’ll see you again.
We love you, Mom. Nana. Goofy. Always.