Obituary of Roy A. Farr

Roy A. Farr gently passed away at his home on September 24, 2016, surrounded by his loving family. He was born November 2, 1929 in Elmira, NY, the only son of Nettie Forsyth and Roy A. Farr Sr. He graduated from Southside High School in 1947, where his outstanding baseball skills earned him a full scholarship to Syracuse University. In 1953 Roy began his teaching career in Oxford, NY before transferring to Campbell, where many remember him fondly as Coach Farr. He continued his education at Union College, earning a Master's degree in Math and Science Education. He shared his love of mathematics with the students of the Campbell and Elmira school districts before being offered a position at Corning Glass Works. He spent 31 active years at Corning Inc. in various leadership positions, serving the company at Fallbrook, Wilmington (NC), Sunderland (England), Bradford (PA), B-Building and retiring from Erwin Advanced Products in 1997. He dedicated his life to serving others, and was a communicant of St. Mary Our Mother Roman Catholic Church. He served as an acolyte, Eucharistic Minister, Parish Council President, and was a member of various committees, such as Catholic Charities, Bishop Clark's Diocesan Committee and the Southern Tier Food Bank. His love of sports was clear throughout his entire life. He played on baseball and softball teams and was proud to be inducted into the Elmira Softball Hall of Fame in 1990. He also started running marathons in his 50's and finished the Boston Marathon twice. In retirement he volunteered his time in the math lab at Horseheads Middle School, improved his golf game, enjoyed walking his dog Manny, frequented luncheons with his 1947 classmates, comingled with his former employees of Corning Inc. and attended his Parkinson's Disease support group. He passionately followed Yankees baseball and Syracuse basketball. He was predeceased by his parents, Roy A. and Nettie Farr, his first wife, Ruth Jean Kendall, his sisters Margaret Grace Loitsch and Rita Morey, his brothers-in-law Frank Loitsch and Jack Morey, who loved and supported him in many ways. He is survived by his loving wife, Carol Ann Eaton (Hoyt), his nine children Barbara DeVaney of Cary, NC; Susan (Chip) Raines of Mooresville, NC; David (Leila) Farr of LaDue, MO; Janet Fay of Wilmington, NC; M. Edward (Julie) Hoyt of Gastonia, NC; Patrick Hoyt of Elmira, NY; Katherine (Jeff) Mitchell of Durham, NC; James Hoyt of Fulton, NY and Mary Grace Farr of Elmira, NY. He was proud of his seventeen grandchildren: Meredith, Jennifer, Chase, Kendall, Lindsey, Andrew, Michael, Geoffrey, Christopher F., Edward, J. Christopher, Jessica, Anna, Olivia, Elizabeth, Lauren, Christopher M., and two great-grandsons with another to arrive soon. He is also survived by the many close relatives of the Loitsch, Morey, Kendall, Crowley and Eaton families. Roy will be laid to rest in St. Peter and Paul's Cemetery in Elmira, NY following a funeral mass at St. Mary Our Mother Roman Catholic Church in Horseheads, NY on Wednesday, September 28 at 10:30 A.M. Calling hours will be at LYNCH FUNERAL HOME 318 WEST BROAD STREET HORSEHEADS, NY on Tuesday, September 27, 2016 from 4 – 7 P.M. At Roy's request, in lieu of flowers, please make donations to The Southern Tier Food Bank, Catholic Charities or Meals on Wheels.