Michael Francis O'Farrell

Michael slipped away from us unexpectedly in McLean, Virginia on 7 April 2021. He was a vibrant, generous force and lived life fully across many continents. With homes in McLean, Virginia and Druids Glen, Ireland, Michael was a strong presence in the cultural and professional communities of Washington D.C. and Ireland. He loved people, language, art and nature. Michael liked nothing more than a fine walk along the Potomac river or a stroll out Dun Laoghaire pier, listening for the banjo player, followed by a gallery visit and an evening with friends that would certainly include good food, vigorous discussion, poetry and even song. Michael’s abiding love of the Spanish language and culture came from his earliest travels to Spain, as an English tutor, and his beloved Colombia, where he taught at the Colegio Colombo Britanico in Cali and had his own local radio program. This Spanish fluency led to his joining Philips Electronics and his work across their many corporate and manufacturing locations in Latin America and The Netherlands. Michael then joined the World Bank Group where he worked for close to 20 years managing personnel teams and mentoring staff for the International Finance Corporation and the World Bank, both in headquarters and across their many international locations, taking a special interest in sub-Saharan Africa, and serving as personnel manager in India for the largest World Bank office outside of Washington, D.C. Subsequently, Michael served as the Chief of Staff for the Office of the High Representative to Bosnia-Herzegovina, the International Fund for Agricultural Development in Rome, and the United Nations Interim Administration in Kosovo. He worked closely with international colleagues organizing professional exchanges and conferences, as well as lecturing for graduate schools in management and psychology. No matter where he went, Michael’s international language was football (soccer in the U.S.). He shared the pitch for many years on weekdays with his league on the Ellipse, sponsored teams for the Taberna Alabardero and Lauriol Plaza restaurants and opened his home for legendary hospitality throughout each World Cup season. Michael also retained a lifelong interest in education and technology, understanding from his own experience how access to these critical elements can change lives. He continued to sponsor education and computer programs for impoverished schools in Cali, Colombia throughout his life. Michael was born in Dublin, Ireland, on February 29, 1940 and was raised in Cavan town. Michael was proud of his Cavan roots and in 1990, Michael was selected as International Cavan Man of the Year, a highly selective award bestowed by Dr. Thomas Halton and Stella O’Leary. Throughout his life, Michael felt the importance of making a difference to an ever-changing Ireland and did so in many ways. He was inspired by his father Sean O Farrell and although he did not hold public office, as Sean had, Michael was a member and advisor of the National Executive to Government, contributing from his studies, research and experience in psychology, economics and finance. Michael was a proud and active alumnus of Rockwell College in Tipperary and held degrees in education and industrial psychology from University College Dublin, post-graduate training at the International Institute for Organizational and Social Development in Leuven, Belgium, and management from the University of Miami. He was an active member of the University Club of Washington, D.C., the Kildare Street Club in Dublin and Delgany Golf Club of County Wicklow, Ireland. Eldest son of Veronica and Sean O’Farrell, Michael was brother to Mary (Gerard), Rory (Katherine), Margaret (Pat) and Frank; uncle to Gerard, Shane, Orlaith, Darragh, Sinead and Helen; great-uncle to Augustine, Eanna, Sophie, Matt, Rory and Ronan; husband to Catherine Commander, and treasured friend, colleague and mentor of so many. The viewing and service was held on Monday April 12th Falls Church, Virginia, it may be viewed using this linkhttps://vimeo.com/534621830 . Memorials for Michael will be held in Washington, D.C. and Ireland at future dates as circumstances permit. Donations may be made in Michael's memory to the charitable organization of your choice. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.murphy-fh.com for the O'Farrell family.