Hannibal Park Board to rename Hannibal Aquatic Center; ceremony to be held Thursday

HANNIBAL, Mo. — The Hannibal Aquatic Center will officially be renamed to honor longtime employee Ronny Ferrel during a ceremony at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, May 16, before the Hannibal Park Board meeting at the aquatic center.

Monetary memorials were made in his name to fund swim lessons this summer. Ferrel’s favorite part of working at the pool was giving swim lessons. He died June 3, 2023.

Ferrel started at the pool as a basket-room employee in 1968, then was a lifeguard and eventually served as pool manager for many years.

Ferrel had retired from the Hannibal School District, where he taught for 31 years as a special education teacher at the elementary and high school levels. He taught at Pettibone, Stowell, Oakwood and Veterans Elementary Schools, as well as Hannibal High School from 1976-2007.