Necrology

Herbert Jefferson Farr III '54

Jun. 30, 1932-Nov. 8, 2007

Herbert Jefferson Farr III ’54, a former businessman who contributed to the advancement of Alzheimer’s research and treatment while combating the disease himself, was born on June 30, 1932, in Cleveland, OH. The son of Herbert J., Jr., and Margery Frost Farr, he was a grandson of the Rev. Cuthbert C. Frost, Class of 1897, and nephew of Bruce L. Frost ’24. Herb Farr grew up in the Cleveland suburb of Shaker Heights and came to College Hill in 1950 from Shaker Heights High School. He joined Delta Upsilon, played soccer, and sang in the Glee Club and Choir. Hailed by The Hamiltonian for his “quiet efficiency” and as one who could always be counted on when there was a tough job to do, he was graduated in 1954.

With the intention of carving out a career as a lawyer, Herb Farr went on to the University of Michigan’s law school. After a year, however, he decided that law was not for him, and he left Michigan to enter the U.S. Army. His two-year term of enlistment included service in the Army’s Counter Intelligence Corps in Europe, which permanently whetted his appetite for travel. He returned to Cleveland in 1957 and joined his family’s business, Pioneer Electronics Supply Co. (previously Pioneer Radio Supply, now part of Agylisis Inc.). He became advertising and sales promotion manager for the company and remained with it until it was sold in 1971. A former president of the Tri-State Chapter of the National Electronics Distributors Association, he was subsequently employed as a trust representative by Bank One in Cleveland until 1988, when Alzheimer’s disease began to interfere with his ability to work with numbers, compelling his retirement.

Despite the disease, which was not diagnosed until 1994, Herb Farr continued for many years to lead a full and meaningful life with the help and encouragement of his devoted wife, Janet Musson Farr, whom he had wed “after a whirlwind romance” in December 1978. He was also aided by his service dog Edith, a treasured companion who guided him home from his regular long walks. He continued to enjoy extensive travel and often returned to College Hill for class reunions. In addition to Hamilton, he was devoted to the sport of curling, both in his younger days as a player (which took him throughout the U.S., including Utica, as well as Canada and even Europe) and as a spectator. He also enjoyed music, a legacy of his days singing in John Baldwin’s Choir, and was devoted to the Cleveland Orchestra, whose concerts he attended until the very end of his life.

In retirement, Herb Farr was a volunteer at the Holden Arboretum, guiding children through its many trails. He and Janet were also active in the Cleveland International Program, hosting many visitors from various countries in their home. However, what he rightly believed to be the greatest achievement of his later years was his contribution to the combating of Alzheimer’s. When given the opportunity to participate in drug intervention research, he readily and enthusiastically became involved. Working with the research registry at the University Memory and Aging Center and the Benjamin Rose Institute in Cleveland, he took part in more than 30 research studies over a period of 13 years. Utterly committed to furthering those research efforts, he hoped that they would lead to lifting the burden on future generations in dealing with the ravages of dementia.

Herbert J. Farr III, a faithful and generously supportive alumnus, long a resident of suburban Chagrin Falls, OH, died on November 8, 2007. In addition to his wife, he is survived by two daughters and a son, Jennifer Jackson, Alison Carletta, and Herbert J. Farr IV, born of his first marriage, in 1959, to Marian L. Melcher. Also surviving are four stepsons, Mark, Eric, Brian, and Ross Loughmiller, and 13 grandchildren, a great-grandchild, and a sister, as well as his dog Edith.

 

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