Necrology

Merritt Charles Farren '51

Oct. 15, 1929-Apr. 6, 2019

Merritt Charles Farren ’51, of Fort Worth-Dallas, a longtime U.S. Navy engineer and fighter pilot and later an electrical engineer with two major aerospace and defense contractors, was born on Oct. 15, 1929, in East Orange, N.J., a son of the former Katherine Broadbent and Merritt Farren, an architect. He prepared for college at Montclair (N.J.) High School.

On the Hill, Farren, a member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity, lent his talents to the track and field and squash teams, band, Glee Club, Music Club, and Outing Club. During his last two Hamilton summers he completed courses at the Naval Reserves Officer Candidate School in Newport, R.I., which allowed him to enter as an ensign in the U.S. Naval Reserves.

After graduation with his degree in mathematics and physics in hand, Farren joined the U.S. Navy and served from 1951 to 1971 as an engineer, fighter pilot, and research and development worker, retiring as lieutenant commander. Along the way he earned a master’s in electrical engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School.

Following his service, Farren embarked on a 20-year career in the aerospace unit of Hughes Aircraft Co. in Los Angeles and Tucson, Ariz., working in the radar, computer, and missiles divisions. From there, he moved on to Lockheed Martin Corp. in Marietta, Ga., where he spent more than 10 years in the R&D unit working on fighter planes.

According to his daughter Leslie, he was active in the Episcopal Church and Habitat for Humanity. Farren also continued to enjoy musical activities in his retirement, following pursuits begun while at Hamilton. He credited the College with grounding his success in his professional life. “Hamilton provided me with a breadth of education that I sense many in aerospace and defense did not get. The math and science courses at Hamilton prepared me for engineering graduate studies fully as well as those coming from undergraduate engineering schools,” he wrote for his 40th reunion yearbook.

Farren died on April 6, 2019. He was 89 years old and is survived by his wife, the former Joan “JoAnn” Barnard, whom he married in 1956; two daughters; one son; and several grandchildren.

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