William Henry “Bill” Farwell Jr., 84, passed away peacefully Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2018. Bill was a seventh-generation Vermonter, born and raised in Rutland.
He graduated from Rutland High School, where he was captain of the football team. Norman Rockwell featured Bill in his painting “The Toss” which appeared on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post in October 1950. He spent summers on his Uncle Will’s farm in Benson.
While attending the University of Vermont, Bill served as president of Phi Delta Theta and won first and second places for the Kake Walk at Winter Carnival with his partners Frank Maccini and Jack Stetson. It was there that he met Dolores (Lorrie) Buehler from West Orange, New Jersey, and they were married in 1957. Bill graduated UVM with a B.S. in business in 1957 and a commission in the U.S. Army Artillery, having completed ROTC and received the Award of the Association of the U.S. Army as the senior cadet officer with the highest overall average in Military Science.
Following his post at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, Bill took a job with the Charles Bruning Company (now Oce), where he spent his 50-year career. Despite many career-related moves, Bill was always active in his local community, coaching Pop Warner Football, acting in community theatre (he was an especially good John Glenn) and volunteering with local events. He was a deacon of the Pilgrim Church (UCC) in Sherborn, Massachusetts, where he also led the Youth Education Program. Bill spent his last 16 years at Ford’s Colony in Williamsburg, where he participated in community activities and committees. Bill helped found Golf and Dine Society, along with his dear friend George Spalthoff and several others. He looked forward each week to his Wednesday lunch with golfing buddies.
Bill is survived by his wife of 61 years, Lorrie; daughters, Karen Farwell and Susan Farwell Mapes; son-in-law, Gene Mapes; five grandchildren, Mackenzie, Madison, and McGuire (Macko) Saffin and Anne and Elisabeth Mapes; sister-in-law, Donnaleen Farwell; nephews, Dean and Scott Farwell of Rutland, Vermont; brother-in-law, Dick Buehler; nieces, Jackie and Cassie Buehler; and cousin, Nancy Nowak. He was loved by neighbors and friends of all backgrounds and will be dearly missed.
A celebration of life service will be held at 4 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 8, at Nelsen Funeral Home, 3785 Strawberry Plains Road, Williamsburg.
In lieu of floral tributes, memorial contributions may be made to Hospice House of Williamsburg, 4445 Powhatan Parkway, Williamsburg, VA 23188.
Share online condolences with the family at Nelsen Funeral Home.
