John Farrell

John Farrell of Bradenton, FL escaped the mortal realm on December 2, 2024. He was 77. John had a lust for life and always ordered dessert. He believed in the buoyancy of humility and the power of prayer. No matter the circumstance, he knew how to make every individual feel seen and heard. His ability to articulate the bottom line meant that when he spoke in his calm, quiet voice, people leaned in.

Born in Brooklyn, NY to Beatrice (née Doherty) and James Farrell, he graduated from James Madison High School where he was a gymnast who thrived on the parallel bars. While working as an ironworker helper, John was drafted into the US Army and stationed mostly in Germany from 1966-1972. An expert marksman, he continued his service in the National Guard until 1980 and was a member of the fighting 69th regiment—”gentle when stroked, fierce when provoked.”

John was a family man who never failed to carve out quality time for his siblings, nieces and nephews; whether that meant babysitting, fixing things around the house, or spending quality time together. He dabbled in skiing, scuba diving, long distance running, and karate and spent time in upstate New York as his summer oasis.

After stints repairing payphones across Brooklyn and mending heating plants for Manhattan Boiler, John joined the New York City Housing Authority, where he started as a maintenance man and worked his way up to superintendent. His openness to clear and direct feedback made him the darling of the Tenants’ Association.

John was a bachelor for much of his life until he met his match in Josephine at the age of 35. Together, two practical people bonded by their sense of humor got married, built a home on Long Island, and had two children: Meghan, and Patricia (deceased). They were married for 31 years before divorcing, but remained close friends to the end. John raised Meghan to become a curious bookworm with a love for comedy, problem solving, and people. He aspired to be her constant in life—and he was just that.

Upon retiring from NYCHA, he found joy managing operations for SCO Family of Services, where he oversaw the maintenance and revival of dozens of Long Island schools and homes for people struggling with disabilities, homelessness, and addiction. Perhaps the capstone project of his career was converting St Brigid’s convent into the first residential school for autism spectrum disorder in New York State.

John relished retirement and moved to Florida to spend much of his time at the beach. A lifelong gym rat, he continued to lift weights, swim, and do cardio at the Y three days a week. One month before his death, John celebrated 33 years of sobriety. He credited AA and the men and women in “the rooms” with saving his life, but he refused to allow any of his many sponsees to give him such credit; instead remarking dryly, “it works if you work it.”

He is survived by his daughter Meghan, ex-wife/dear friend Josephine, sisters Catherine (Gorman) and Ann (Sullivan), and grandpup Juneau. Predeceased by his daughter, Patricia; siblings Beatrice (Joyce), James, and Michael; and parents Beatrice and James.