More detail on this person: A 68-year-old man
died Saturday after a Lexus hit the classic 1961
Chevrolet Corvette he was driving, police said.
Police received a 911 call of a motor vehicle
crash in the area of 338 West Mill Road at 5:28
p.m.
Raymond P. Ferrante, of the Long Valley section of
the township, had been traveling west on West Mill
Road at the same time a 2013 Lexus RX was
traveling east, police said.
The Lexus, which was operated Elaine Moran, 69,
of Long Valley, crossed over the center double
line for unknown reason striking the Corvette head
on, police said. The woman was not injured in
the crash and refused any medical attention,
police said.
Ferrante was ejected from the vehicle by the force
of the collision, police said.
Patrol Officer Adam Feichter along with a
passer-by performed CPR on Ferrante but he was
later pronounced dead at the scene.
The crash is currently under investigation by
Patrol Officer Philip Seabeck of the Washington
Township Traffic Bureau and Morris County Sheriffs
Department
Assisting agencies at the scene; Washington
Township Fire Companies, Long Valley First Aid
Squad and Morris County Sheriffs Department and
Morris County Medical Examiner
He was one of Donald Trump's personal pilots for
many years.
Raymond Ferrante was nothing if not generous and
selfless, a man always looking to help others and
stand up for the common good. The immensely
accomplished military serviceman, father, and
husband died recently in a car crash in Long
Valley, and will be laid to rest at Arlington
National Cemetery, according to his obituary.
Ferrante, 68, of Long Valley, was born in the
Bronx. After two years at Manhattan College, he
joined the Army's 101st Airborne Division as a
helicopter pilot. That taste of flying led to his
lifelong passion and career, with Ferrante logging
more than 25,000 flight hours. During the Vietnam
war, Ferrante completed more than 2,100 hours of
combat flight time and received 48 Air Medals,
three with Valor as well as a Bronze Star.
He returned to Vietnam with Air America for three
years, where he met his wife Sherry in Saigon,
then worked in Iran, Mexico, the Arctic, Morocco,
the Bahamas, and Saudi Arabia.
Ferrante joined Trump Airlines in 1984 and later
worked as the Donald Trump's personal pilot. He
retired from the New Jersey National Guard in 2006
as a CW5 Chief Warrant Officer, which is the
highest rank achievable by an Army Warrant
Officer, having spent more than 20 years serving.
In his down time, Ferrante was a skilled
carpenter, builder, and loved all things
mechanical, including classic cars. It was the
meticulously restored 1961 Chevrolet Corvette that
Ferrante died in.
He is survived by his wife, Sherry, daughter
Nancy, and two sons, James and Warren.
A memorial celebration will be held at the
Ferrante residence on May 2 from 1 to 4 p.m., and
the veteran will be laid to rest at Arlington
National Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested
memorial donations be made to the Army Aviation
Association of America, the NJARNG Yellow
Ribbon Program, or a national veterans charity of
your choice.
Burial information: Arlington National Cemetary, Arlington, VA
This information was last updated 09/14/2013
Please send additions or corrections to: HQ@vhpa.org VHPA Headquarters
Return to the Helicopter Pilot DAT name list
Return to VHPA web site
Date posted on this site: 05/13/2023
Copyright © 1998 - 2023 Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association