John Nolan O'Farrell, Jr.

SERVICES FOR JOHN NOLAN O'FARRELL, JR. 83, WILL BE HELD ON TUESDAY OCTOBER 13, 2015
AT 2:00 P.M. AT NORTHEAST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, 601 POLO ROAD, COLUMBIA,S.C. WITH DR. GEORGE CROW OFFICIATING. THE FAMILY WILL RECEIVE FRIENDS BEFORE THE SERVICE STARTING AT 1:00 P.M, IN THE CHURCH ATRIUM. BURIAL WILL BE IN THE CHURCH CEMETERY
IMMEDIATELY  FOLLOWING  THE SERVICE.   JOHN ENTERED INTO THE PRESENCE  OF HIS LORD AND
SAVIOR ON  THURSDAY OCTOBER 1, 2015 SURROUNDED  BY HIS FAMILY.  BORN IN
ATLANTA , GA  FEBRUARY 2 , 1932, HE WAS THE ELDEST SON OF THE LATE JOHN NOLAN O'FARRELL AND THE LATE MARY DUNBAR O'FARRELL BRYANT. JOHN GRADUATED FROM BASS HIGH SCHOOL IN ATLANTA, GA AND SOON JOINED THE U.S. AIR FORCE. WHILE STATIONED IN WSHINGTON,D.C.
HE ATTENDED THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND AND CONTINUED HIS EDUCATION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA UPON HIS RETURN FROM SERVING THE COUNTRY HE LOVED.
HE SERVED WITH U.S.AIR FORCE AT BOLING AIR FORCE BASE IN WASHINGTON,D.C. AND SERVED IN KOREA WITH THE 4TH FIGHTER WING, KIMPO AIR FORCE BASE AND UPON HIS RETURN TO THE STATES, HE WAS STATIONED AT EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, MOJAVE DESERT, CALIFORNIA.
HE WAS OWNER OF JOHN O'FARRELL REALTY BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR MANY SUBDIVISIONS THROUGHOUT  SOUTH CAROLINA AND INVOLVED IN BOARD OF REALTORS AND S.C. HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION.   HE WAS A DEVELOPER STATE WIDE AND SERVED ON SEVERAL ADVISORY  BOARDS DURING HIS CAREER.
JOHN WAS PAST FLOTILLA COMMANDER, U.S. COAST GUARD AUXILLARY AND BECAUSE OF HIS PASSION FOR BOATING VOLUNTEED MANY HOURS TEACHING BOATING SAFETY. JOHN LOVED BASEBALL AND WHEN HIS TWO SONS BECAME INTERESTED , HE BEGAN COACHING LITTLE LEAGUE ALL THE WAY TO AMERICAN LEGION BALL WINNING STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS ALONG THE WAY.  JOHN WAS CHARTER PRESIDENT OF COLUMBIA BREAKFAST OPTIMIST CLUB AND SERVED AS LT. GOVERNOR OF THIS DISTRICT, HAVING BEEN AWARDED LIFE MEMBERSHIP TO OPTIMIST INTERNATIONAL.
JOHN LOVED JESUS CHRIST, HE LOVED HIS WORD AND HE LOVED HIS PEOPLE SO HE TAUGHT SUNDAY SCHOOL FOR MANY YEARS AND SERVED AS ELDER AT NORTHEAST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH HAVING BEEN NAMED ELDER EMERITUS IN 2004. HE SERVED ON TWO SHORT TERM MISSION TRIPS TO NICARAGUA AND CARRIED HIS FOUR ADULT CHILDREN ON THE FIRST ONE AND THEN HIS WIFE AND YOUNGEST DAUGHTER ON THE SECOND TRIP. IN HIS LATER YEARS, HE REALIZED THE WORLD PALED IN COMPARISON TO HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST AND LOVED TO WITNESS BY GIVING A RED STONE THAT REPRESENTED THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST THAT WAS SHED--JOHN 3:16. HE WANTED EVERYONE TO HAVE THEIR NAMES WRITTEN IN THE LAMB'S BOOK OF LIFE.
HE ADORED  HIS WIFE ANN,  LOVED HIS CHILDREN, GRANDCHILDREN AND GREAT GRAND  DAUGHTER AND HE WAS A LOYAL FRIEND.  HE AND ANN WERE MARRIED 62 YEARS, THEY LOVED TRAVELING TOGETHER  AND  ENJOYED BOATING AND WORKING TOGETHER  ON MANY  PROJECTS. JOHN WAS THE ETERNAL OPTIMIST AND REGARDLESS OF HOW HE FELT DURING THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS OF HIS ILLNESS, HE ALWAYS WOULD ANSWER "I FEEL GREAT" WHEN ASKED HOW HE WAS DOING.  JOHN WAS TRULY  BLESSED AND WE WERE BLESSED HAVING KNOWN HIM. SURVIVORS INCLUDE HIS WIFE ANN TYUS O'FARRELL, SONS MICHAEL TYUS O'FARRELL,  JOHN TIMOTHY O'FARRELL (DEBBIE) DAUGHTERS CYNTHIA ANN COLONNA (SCOTT) AND CATHERINE JULIE CORLEY (DARREN). GRANDCHILDREN TY O'FARRELL (LUCIA) BRAD O'FARRELL, KATY EICHHOLZ (ADAM)  KAMIS O'FARRELL, CATHERINE COLONNA, MICHAEL COLONNA,  SCOTT CORLEY AND JOHN CORLEY.   GREAT GRANDDAUGHTER ALY  EICHHOLZ AND GREAT GRAND CHILD DUE IN NOVEMBER.   HE IS ALSO SURVIVED BY HIS BROTHER THOMAS MICHAEL O'FARRELL (SANDRA) OF BUFORD, GA., SISTERS IN LAW, LOIS WILLIAMS OF CHESTER.VA. AND BETTY JO LANGFORD OF GRIFFIN,GA. AND NUMEROUS  BELOVED NEICES AND NEPHEWS.
JOHN'S SIX GRANDSONS WILL BE PALL BEARERS. JOHN HAD A GREAT LOVE FOR HIS MEN'S BIBLE CLASS AND THEY WILL BE HONORARY PALL BEARERS ALONG WITH FRANK FLOYD AND DR. CHIP STRICKLAND.
THE FAMILY WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS THEIR SINCERE THANKS TO DR. JEFFERY HOOK, NADINE KELLY, CILE ELTON, TERRY MURPHY AND DIANA MILLNER FOR THEIR LOVE, CARE AND CONCERN FOR JOHN DURING HIS ILLNESS.
MEMORIALS MAY BE MADE TO NORTHEAST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, 601 POLO ROAD, COLUMBIA,
SC 29223

 

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