Poet, author Ferreni recalled by Saugus pal

SAUGUS-He may have lived the bulk of his life in Gloucester, but poet Vincent Ferrini, who died Christmas Eve, was born in Saugus and Thursday an old friend paused to remember him.Local poet laureate Tom Sheehan called Ferrini, who was born in Saugus in 1913, a grand old gent.”He was rough and tough, but had the heart of a poet,” Sheehan said. “I really liked him.”Venanzio Ugo Ferrini was born 94 years ago to John and Rena Ferrini, immigrants from Abruzzi, Italy. While his parents found work in the shoe factories of Lynn, Ferrini found books and, by high school, resolved to become a writer.A graduate of Lynn Classical with no money for college Ferrini pursued his education at the Lynn Public Library. He wrote his first volume of verse about the people of Lynn and in 1940, at the age of 27, he published his first book “No Smoke.”Nearly 40 books, plays and anthologies followed along with an autobiography. In the spring, one last Ferrini original will be released posthumously, called “Invisible Skin.””I met him a half-dozen times occasionally at (poetry) readings and a couple of other places,” Sheehan said. “He was the salt of the earth, a real Gloucester guy.”Sheehan said he knew Ferrini was born in Saugus and lived in Lynn, but said he belonged in Gloucester.He called him a pioneer who did things his own way, which included being an academic outsider who received little remuneration for his work. It did, however, land him a leading role in “Poem in Action,” a film done by Ferrini’s nephew, Henry Ferrini.”He did quite well,” Sheehan said. “He was very pleasurable to be around.”Sheehan added it also helped that Ferrini was a little thick-skinned and had had no qualm telling people, including other writers, what he thought. He said he admired Ferrini for that.”He did his writing and did it his way with no arguments,” he said. “Kudos to guys who can do that.”Ferrini leaves a daughter Shelia Ferrini of Boston, son Owen Ferrini from Gloucester, two grandchildren, Ben and Cara and dozens of extended family and friends.”There was no phony baloney with him,” Sheehan said. “He was a grand, grand guy. A tough old timer; a guy that stood his ground.”