Alfred Joseph Faria

On January 30, 2025, we lost a wonderful and gentle man, husband, father, grandfather, padrino, friend, brother, hard worker, and role model. At the age of 83, Al Faria passed peacefully in his home, in the company of his beloved wife Phyllis and his cherished dog Fifi.

Al was born on the family dairy farm in Visalia California on July 28, 1941, to his parents Joe Faria Jr. and Rose Faria. He grew up working on the dairy farm with his grandfather, Dad, and brother Dan.

Al attended George McCann Catholic Grammar School and Mt. Whitney High School, where he took shop and agriculture classes. After the sudden death of their father, Al and Dan quit high school to run the family farm. Eventually, the brothers became partners in Faria Brothers Farming, which specialized in growing cotton, corn, alfalfa, wheat, oats, and black-eyed beans. Al loved farming with his family.

He proudly served his country in the National Guard from 1964 to 1969, during which he was stationed at Fort Ord, California. Through his role as a truck driver in the Guard, Al served alongside other guardsmen, many of which became his lifelong friends.

On August 19, 1966, Al married the love of his life Phyllis Gott, whom he had met at George McCann. Al and Phyllis were married for 58 blessed years and together raised their two children, Sabrina and Heath. Al was immensely proud of his children and the family they had built.

For years, Al was a member of the P.P.A.V. and was continuously involved with the local Portuguese celebrations. He enjoyed going to the meetings and doing route work where he could mingle with friends. Al easily made friends everywhere he went.

Throughout his life, Al was a fan of motorsport racing. He found pleasure in cruising around town in fast cars and even raced his own 60 Chevy in the drags. He frequented races all over the Western US, while occasionally attending races as far East as Florida. Al added to his number of lifelong friendships through his hobby of racing, some of which became as close as family.

Cowboy culture was synonymous with Al Faria. In his free time, he would kick up his boots and watch Western programs on TV, like Gunsmoke. He made a habit of attending Mule Days every May in Bishop, CA with Phyllis and their pets to relive the simpler times. In addition to racing and cowboys, Al had a soft spot for polka music, with musician Mollie B. being his undeniable favorite.

Al was always willing to lend a helping hand to those around him. If you asked, he was always there with advice or wisdom drawn from his own experiences in mechanics and farming. More often than not, he would roll up his sleeves and work right alongside you till the job was done.

Al is survived by his loving wife, Phyllis Faria, his brother Dan Faria and sister Gerri Cullum, his daughter Sabrina Wittman and husband Shawn, their children, Samatha, Brice, and Ella, his son Heath Faria and wife Melissa, and their children, Maddison, Hanna, and Taylor,

Al was a loving and devoted husband, father, grandfather, uncle, and friend. He was a great person and a friend to all. He showed us how to have fun, live in the moment, never have bad intentions, and to work hard for what you have. He never had a bad word to say bad about anyone and favored seeing the bright side of things. Al’s easy smile and steadfast friendship will be greatly missed by the family and friends he leaves behind. The world may have lost a great man, but heaven has gained a beautiful angel.