Richard (Dick) Farrell

Richard (Dick) Farrell was a natural leader whose winning presence allowed him to take control of various situations with ease. Equipped with a clear and calculating focus, he possessed a tough-minded, “take charge” attitude. He had the ability to make even routine situations seem exciting, and he was at ease with the role of playing problem solver. Richard (Dick) always sought out the scene of where the action was. Sociable, analytical and pleasant, Richard (Dick) was an individual who enjoyed life’s challenges.

      Richard (Dick) was born on February 5, 1937 at Plummer Memorial Hospital in Sault Ste. Marie, ON. His parents were Frederick Eldon Farrell and Reta Helen (Donnelly) Farrell. Richard (Dick) was raised in Sault Ste. Marie, ON. Always able to express himself well, Richard (Dick) possessed strong interpersonal skills. He was optimistic in his outlook on life and was able at all times to be open and direct in his communication. Armed with a great wit, Richard (Dick) was raised to be accepting of others and to implement a strong personal work ethic.

      As a young child, Richard (Dick) showed his creative ability in many ways. He was outgoing and animated. Richard (Dick) enjoyed new activities and pursued a variety of interests. He took part in baseball and basketball. In his spare time he liked reading comic books and playing baseball.

      Known to others as a focused, logical, open-minded and somewhat driven individual, Richard (Dick) was able to utilize these qualities to succeed in high school. His curious nature was spurred by his ability to maximize his personal learning style through employing a hands-on approach. He was good with facts and had an excellent memory. He graduated from Collegiate High School in 1957. He enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. His favorite class in high school was math. When he was 16 years old he was asked to try out for the Detroit Tigers.

      Friends and acquaintances found Richard (Dick) an easy man to get to know, and those close to him would often praise his open, practical style of communication and relaxed approach to life in general. Richard (Dick) was uncomplicated and straightforward in his relationships, which allowed him to accept people for what they were. While growing up, some of his best friends were Graydon Hess, Marvin Danby, Reg Halford, Ron Mason, Gerry Donnelly, and Bucky Ralph. Later in life, he became friends with Joe Orlando, Curt Scott, Glennie Marshall, and Johnny Belanger.

      On June 10, 1961 Richard (Dick) exchanged wedding vows with Emma Lorraine Farrell at the Knox United Church of Owen Sound, ON. Richard (Dick) was attentive to Lorraine's feelings, and he charmed Lorraine and others with his gift for being able to give freely and generously. A good listener with an engaging personality, Richard (Dick) was able to bring pleasure and unexpected humor to the relationship.

      Very much like a kid himself, Richard (Dick) identified with the inquisitive and creative side of his children’s personalities. He was able to direct his energy and spontaneity towards helping his children acquire added common sense skills. Richard (Dick) was blessed with Three children, two daughters, Cathleen Anne and Karen Reta, and one son, Richard Frederick. They were also blessed with six grandchildren, Kayla, Candace, Colin, Meagan, Haley, and Sophie.

      Richard (Dick) was a flexible worker who was able to draw the best from others around him. A persuasive individual who was quick to make necessary decisions, Richard (Dick)’s strengths included being able to think on his feet. He could be a leader who sought impact for his decisions. Gifted with an incredible ability to read body language, Richard (Dick) was able to positively manipulate situations and motivate others in order to get a task completed. He was a good negotiator who enjoyed new challenges. Richard (Dick) could multi-task, and he was endowed with entrepreneurial spirit, allowing him to think beyond standard norms when it came to resolving issues in his work environment. His primary occupation was a Bell Canada Cable Repairman. He was employed for 35 years by Bell Canada.

      Richard (Dick) enjoyed his leisure time by taking part in various hobbies. He had something of an artistic flair in many of the things that he did. He put this creativity toward all of his pastimes. His favorite hobbies were playing sports (baseball, curling, golf) and watching sports (baseball, curling, hockey, golf). He was content to enjoy his hobbies alone but was also willing to share his interests with others.

      Because he liked to take risks, Richard (Dick) was a perfect match for athletics and exercise. He was enthusiastic and confident about these activities. In high school, Richard (Dick) played baseball and basketball. Recreational sports included baseball, slow pitch, curling, and golf. Richard (Dick) was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching his favorite events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were baseball, hockey, golf, and curling.

      Richard (Dick) was a gifted problem solver who worked hard to help accomplish group goals. This skill made him a wonderful asset to the various groups and organizations to which he belonged. Always matter-of-fact about what needed to be done, Richard (Dick) worked steadily to meet any organization’s goals. Throughout his later years, Richard (Dick) was an active member of the Masonic Keystone Lodge and Willowgrove United Church (helping with Christmas Cheer).

      Richard (Dick) was a generous man who prized that same quality in others. So it’s little wonder that he was so active and giving in his community. Richard (Dick) was a member of several community groups, including serving on committees for the Board of Directors of Parkview Condos.

      Richard (Dick) held close traditional values and as a result, faith was important to him. He was a member of Willowgrove United Church for 47 years. During that time, he was an elder and also participated on the offering committee.

      Richard (Dick)’s natural leadership qualities placed him in consideration for public recognition, earning him accolades for his many and varied efforts throughout his life. Some of his most prestigious awards included his many curling and baseball trophies.

      Travel and vacations were experiences that Richard (Dick) truly enjoyed. He preferred to seek out excitement wherever he went and he was partial to vacations that were casual and laid back with an atmosphere of “live and let live.” He was willing to leave his plans open and flexible, just in case something more interesting came along. Favorite vacations included camping at Interlochen, Rock Lake and Old Mill Bay, Barbados, Portugal, Florida, Virginia Beach, trips to Michigan and the many trips to Southern Ontario visiting family.

      Richard (Dick) was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. One of Richard (Dick)’s favorites was Penny (Boston Terrier/Chihuahua), Sheba (Lab/German Shepard), and Teddy. His family was rounded out by his cat, Sam.

      When Richard (Dick)’s retirement finally came in September 1, 1992, he was well prepared. He used logical analysis of his retirement options in order to ensure his retirement would be fulfilling. Still, he was able to easily adapt to possible changes and enjoyed just having fun and being relaxed. In retirement, he found new pleasure in golf and curling.

      Richard (Dick) passed away on May 1, 2013 at Algoma Residential Community Hospice (ARCH), Sault Ste. Marie, ON. Richard (Dick) fought a brave battle against his fourth bout of cancer. He is survived by his mother Reta; his wife Lorraine; his children Karen and Richard; his grandchildren Kayla, Candace, Colin, Meagan, Haley, and Sophie and his great grandchildren Noah, Rumour, and John. Services were held at Willowgrove United Church. Richard (Dick) was laid to rest in Greenwood Cemetery, Sault Ste. Marie, ON.

      Richard (Dick) was the kind of person who could win others over easily. A concrete communicator, he relied on his senses to increase his involvement and awareness of others. He was always able to provide amusing repartee to his friends and acquaintances, offering a seemingly endless supply of quips, anecdotes, jokes and stories. If Richard (Dick) had a theme song written about him, it might well have been “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” He enjoyed his life and the experience of living it. This is how everyone will remember Richard (Dick) Farrell.

Psalm 23:

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want,

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures;


he leadeth me beside still waters; he restoreth my soul. 


He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.


Yeh though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,


I shall fear no evil;

for thou art with me;
 thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.


Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies;


thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 


Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me 
all the days of my life, 


and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

I Cor. 13: If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast,* but do not have love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant 5or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. 7It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. 9For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; 10but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. 11When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. 12For now we see in a mirror, dimly,* but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. 13And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

Philippians 4: 8,9: Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.

A sermon by the Rev. Dr. David Zub for the memorial service of Richard Farrell, May 4, 2013

If we take the time to read the psalms closely they can be a little frustrating at times. Over and over again, they tell us that faith in the God of Israel is a quality that is rewarded by the blessings of peace and prosperity, while those who are faithless will know poverty and perish. But our life experience tells us something different; we all know that wicked people often prosper, often at the expense of others, and faithful people die, too… often too soon, often in sad and suffering ways.

But this is the way of the world, and the psalms are not trying to reflect this world as we know it. The psalms try to tell us that life lived faithfully—and faith is a word that in the ancient languages also means loyalty and trust—a life lived faithfully is blessed with riches of a far different kind than the treasures of money and possessions.

Dick Farrell was a faithful man, and he knew this. Blessed with the qualities of faith in God and personal loyalty toward his family and friends, blessed with loyalty and trust of others including those closest to him, Dick’s life was lived in the quiet assurance of something greater than himself—not only the confidence of a loving God who would embrace him at life’s end, but also the aspects of life that are greater than us all: the community of the church, the community of family and the generations that would stretch before him beyond his sight, the community of his birth, this place where his roots grew so deep into the very soil of the town and country where he lived his whole life, and especially the blessing of his communion with his Lorraine, his wife and best friend for over fifty years.

It can be said that Dick was a religious man; it is true. For his entire life he was a member of the church community, and for the last forty years and more a member of Willowgrove United Church. For more years than most of us can remember he was a steadfast and loyal Christian, one of the Lord’s labourers of the church, serving this congregation to the best of his ability. Though Dick was quiet in the language of faith, his actions have been a testament to what it means to be a Christian man in what has largely become a non-Christian world. But there is more to any life than any single act, be it religious or not, that the word “faith” comes up; Dick’s life was full to the brim with these brilliant facets.

It all comes down to, I think, a proper confidence in life. Dick was one jewel in the crown of many-branched, fully leafed families that included the fast bond he held with Lorraine’s family. An only child, Dick was born and raised right here in this good place, attending school at Cody P.S. and Collegiate H.S., though by his own admission he spent most of his time playing hooky so that he could enjoy his youth and play ball as much as possible. In Collin’s eulogy you heard what a great ball player he was, probably pro material, scouted by the Tigers, a pitcher of scary proportions and later a base man who, I’m sure, kept his spikes firmly turned down to the turf so as not to hurt anyone sliding into his domain. Sports was one of his touchstones… he seldom watched anything on t.v. except sports, preferring instead to read his mystery novels and war history books, but always active in the social games of golf and curling right up to last year. In fact, some have said that he was a very accomplished golfer, though I have it on good account that he swung a club like a baseball bat… nonetheless hitting the ball straight and true against all odds.

You will remember him over endless games of euchre and crib, and for the way he could be a child among children, swimming in lakes or the ocean when possible, reveling in the times he could be with his grandchildren snowmobiling, cross country skiing, and watching them at play. Though he and Lorraine enjoyed their times travelling and the days of camping, Dick loved to be home, and loved no place more than their home at Gros Cap where for some twenty years he smashed down and built up, board by board, the home and barn converted to his workshop in which he spent many hours, often happily producing little more than a mountain of ash from the barrel stove as seasons passed four by four and he feasted in the love and presence of his family and friends, punctuated with of great grilled breakfasts, burgers and meatballs… all feeding those who came to his table between bouts of horseshoes. Through it all, Dick had that confidence, knew he was, knew where he was…

This is the fertile field in which proper confidence can be nurtured and might flourish. It isn’t the kind of confidence that can be called pride or arrogance and, in fact, it is the kind of life that works against such flaws of character. Indeed, Dick was a humble man who avoided being the centre of attention, who was capable of admitting his own errors and who valued kindness and who knew that, whatever happened today, tomorrow would be another day with the people of his family and community. But it is a confidence that comes from knowing with peace and some degree of contentment that there is a place for him in the world, and this is that place.

Now, sometimes at funerals there is a tendency to call someone a “saint” as if that means the person who has been gathered to God had only magnificent qualities. In the true sense of the word, Dick could be called a saint in that he was blessed by God with qualities that made him a blessing to his family and friends, his church and his community. This is not to say that he didn’t ever get angry or upset and, indeed, there may be stories barely told in which his children would say that on more than one occasion they found out that he could run faster than they could. If he was roused to anger he would blow through like a summer storm… but it would not last, and he was never known to hold a grudge or carry hard feelings for long. And I think that along with the confidence of knowing one’s place and station in a secure and loving family and community there comes a simplicity about life that makes the fast pace and changes and startling otherness of the modern world a little frustrating. Dick may have been perplexed, from time to time, at how complicated people could make their lives, and how this place of his deep roots was changing so fast and furiously. And he could worry, and he knew the helplessness of grief, and the necessity of giving over to God those things that he could not change, especially when he and Cathleen went through cancer treatments together, he surviving and Cathleen be gathered to God.

But nonetheless Dick was blessed with that quality of confidence in God, his church, his community and his family. It gave him something that very few people enjoy in their lives: a sense of contentment even in the midst of trial. It is, I believe, one of the reasons that the 23 Psalm has endured when so much of the Bible has been forgotten, because that poem speaks of sitting at a feast in the midst of enemies. Whatever enemies of loss and illness, grief and sorrow may have besieged his life, Dick knew he was blessed with a banquet of life and love.

For most of his life he enjoyed impeccable health until he received that first diagnosis of cancer a decade ago. Four times he stepped into the breach of battle through grueling treatments and every time he emerged changed, weakened somewhat… but because of his faith, his quiet confidence in the presence of God and the life of love he shared with Lorraine, he remained himself. Until his last day he was engaged, interested, and considerate, grateful to all who offered him support and help, praising his wife and partner, and talking about how much he would miss his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren… and kept his ability to understand what is important to others. The day after he was admitted to Arch, a facility he praised greatly, I visited him. After awhile he asked what work I was doing on our new house. There is a chapter in the little minister’s visiting handbook that says we’re supposed to avoid talking about ourselves, but he seemed genuinely interested; so I told him about the patio I had to take apart, the eaves that need fixing, the little leak around a basement window, and he nodded. “From where I’m sitting,” he said, “these things don’t seem so important.” Which I knew was true, but then he said, “From where you’re sitting, you better get to work!” Cancer may have taken Dick’s life, but it never robbed him, or you, of who he was and will continue to be fore you.

It’s all part of it, you see; it’s all part of that confidence in his own sense of place and the place of others that gave him this quality of trust and loyalty and faith that goes beyond mere religious faith. He could let God be God, and he could love as a result: love his wife, and it was clear he always did, and love his children, and his grandchildren, Lorraine’s family, and his community and friends and church. It doesn’t matter what you have in life, what you’ve built, achieved, or saved up… in the end, like the reading from I Corinthians says, there is faith, hope, and love… the greatest of these is love—without it, our lives amount to very little. Dick had that love, gave it, and received it.

This is faith. It’s not hard, it’s not complicated, and Dick had it. We know this, because he loved… and was loved. Dick died at what is today a relatively young age, and his passing came suddenly all things considered, but when whenever I have encountered the members of his family, his friends, and those with whom he knew through his work and community life, I saw in their eyes not only the grief that is the price we all pay for love, but also that same confidence that allowed laughter and open respect and acceptance that I saw in Dick’s eyes. It’s a real blessing; and one that is biblically known. Remember what the apostle Paul wrote to the church in Philippi? I read it earlier: “Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.”

Well, all of us who knew Dick know as well that there has been much in Dick’s life that was truthful and honourable, just and pure, pleasing and commendable and just plain excellent. And he’s given that to you—to all of us—to live in our lives with the same proper confidence that he had in God and in life, a confidence of which I am sure he was unaware but which is, nonetheless, here for us now to live in his memory, and for each other. In this way, he will remain with you always, especially in the lives of his children and grandchildren. This is the best legacy any parent can offer to his children, and Dick gave it without reservation.

Some time ago I was given a poem that seems fitting for Dick’s memory, because it speaks of exactly this way in which Dick, gone now into the arms of God, remains with us still in the proper confidence of faith in all of it’s simple richness. It’s by E. Brenneman, and is called “His Journey’s Just Begun”:

Don’t think of him as gone away—

his journey’s just begun, life holds so many facets—

this earth is only one.

Just think of him as resting

from the sorrows and the tears

in a place of warmth and comfort

where there are no days and years.

Think how he must be wishing

that we could know today

how nothing but our sadness

can really pass away.

And think of him as living

in the hearts of those he touched…

for nothing is loved is ever lost—

and he was loved so much.

Amen.

My Dad told me a story once about my grandfather. He was about 16 years old playing in a triple A baseball game at north street field with sometimes up to 2000 people in attendance. As my grandfather was heading for the plate, his grandfather walked over and said to him “Hey Dickie, hit me a home run”. He stepped up to the plate, gripped the bat, dug his feet in the ground and on the first pitch, my grandfather said “it felt like time stood still and when the ball came across the plate it looked the size of a canto lope and I swung as hard as I could.” He smashed the ball over the fence, over Bloor St. and over a row of 2 story houses and into someone’s backyard, a homerun. How proud his grandfather must have been. The strength, determination and will power he had amazes me. These character traits were shown through 60 more years of his life along with these past few months as he battled harder than any person I have seen. That was who he was, whether it was fighting for his life or stacking logs of firewood, he did it right and tried his hardest. He stepped up to the plate when needed and hit the ball out of the park, every time.

During the past few months while my grandfather was still at home, I wrote him a letter to express his impact on my life. He read this several times.

“Dear Grandpa,

What would you give to golf 9 more holes? At first you would probably say “absolutely anything”, but look a bit closer.

Throughout your life you have been an amazing son, husband, father, friend and importantly to me, grandfather. I go back to the tractor rides, bowls of cereal together with extra brown sugar when grandma wasn’t looking, all the times golfing with you my dad and I, and all the holiday visits or just hanging out. I appreciated nothing more than just sitting beside you all night listening to new stories, or the same stories I heard 100 times. Especially at the cottage when you sat back in your chair looking out at the lake and told me to always “enjoy these moments in the moment”. Words that will stay with me for the rest of my life.

So what would you give to gold 9 more holes? The answer is you already have. You have already golfed and lived. Your kids, mother, grandchildren and your beautiful wife are all going to be okay because of you. You have succeeded. And this summer Ill be sure to go out and golf 9 holes

Love you Always,

Colin

I am so proud and honoured to call Dickie Farrell my grandfather, he has taught us all so much and I hope we all approach things how in our lives how he did in his life. No matter what it is, no matter how big or small it may seem, we must hit the ball out of the park every time just like he did, hit a homerun just like my grandfather Richard James Farrell. Life has an end but love does not and we grandpa will love you forever. Until we meet again, may you rest in peace.

* * * * * * * * * *

FARRELL, Richard (Dick) – Peacefully at ARCH on Wednesday, May 1, 2013 in his 77th year. Beloved husband of 51 years to Lorraine. Loving father of Karen Mayer (Matt), Rick (Susan) and the late Cathleen Bridge. Proud grandfather of Haley and Sophie Mayer, Kayla (Lonnie L’heuruex) and Colin Farrell and Candace and Meagan Bridge. Great grandfather of Noah L’heureux, Rumour and John Gerard. Richard will be sadly missed by his mother Reta Farrell (late Frederick) and by the Donnelly and Farrell families. Brother-in-law of Ivan Carmichael (Ada), Elizabeth Weaver (Charlie), Lloyd Carmichael (Ruth) and Gwen Barry (Earl). Friends may call at Willowgrove United Church on Monday, May 6, 2013 from 11 am until time of memorial service at 1 pm. Rev. Dr. David Zub officiating. Interment Greenwood Cemetery. Memorial contributions to ARCH or the Willowgrove Gift and Memorial Fund would be appreciated. (Arrangements entrusted to the Arthur Funeral Home & Cremation Centre, 705-759-2522). Expressions of sympathy may be offered at www.arthurfuneralhome.com.

The following was read at the memorial service by his grandson, Colin Farrell:

My Dad told me a story once about my grandfather. He was about 16 years old playing in a Triple A baseball game at North Street field, with sometimes up to 2000 people in attendance. As my grandfather was heading for the plate, his grandfather walked over and said to him, “Hey Dickie, hit me a home run”. My grandfather stepped up to the plate, gripped the bat, dug his feet into the ground and on the first pitch, he said “it felt like time stood still and when the ball came across the plate it looked the size of a cantaloupe and I swung as hard as I could.” He smashed the ball over the fence, over Bloor Street, over a row of 2-story houses and into someone’s backyard - a homerun. How proud his grandfather must have been. The strength, determination and willpower he had amazes me. These character traits were shown through 60 more years of his life, along with these past few months as he battled harder than any person I have ever seen. That was who he was. Whether it was fighting for his life or stacking logs of firewood, he did it right and tried his hardest. He stepped up to the plate when needed and hit the ball out of the park - every single time.

During the past few months while my grandfather was still at home, I wrote him a letter to express his impact on my life. He read this several times.

“Dear Grandpa,

What would you give to golf 9 more holes? At first you would probably say, “absolutely anything”. But look a bit closer.

Throughout your life you have been an amazing son, husband, father, friend, and most importantly to me, grandfather. I go back to the tractor rides, bowls of cereal together with extra brown sugar when Grandma wasn’t looking, all the times golfing with you, my dad and I, and all the holiday visits or just hanging out. I appreciated nothing more than just sitting beside you all night listening to new stories, or the same stories I heard 100 times. Especially at the cottage when you sat back in your chair looking out at the lake and told me to always “enjoy these moments in the moment”. Words that will stay with me for the rest of my life.

So, what would you give to golf 9 more holes? The answer is you already have. You have already golfed and lived. Your kids, mother, grandchildren and your beautiful wife are all going to be okay because of you. You have succeeded. And this summer I'll be sure to go out and golf 9 holes

Love you always,

Colin"

I am so proud and honoured to call Dickie Farrell my grandfather, he has taught us all so much and I hope we all approach things in our lives the same way he did in his. No matter what it is, no matter how big or small it may seem, we must hit the ball out of the park every time just like he did. Hit a homerun just like my grandfather, Richard James Farrell. Life has an end but love does not, and we Grandpa will love you forever. Until we meet again, may you rest in peace.