Erwin Arthur Farmer, 77, passed away peacefully early Monday morning, in the home he made for his wife and family over 50 years ago.
He was born March 20, 1938, to Arthur and Virginia (Hamm) Farmer in Corvallis, Oregon. He was raised in the nearby town of Philomath, where he married his high school sweetheart, Sandra Ryker, on Jan. 24, 1958.
Their first son Gregory and daughter TeRena Louise Farmer were born in Corvallis, Oregon. TeRena preceded her father in death in March 1960.
In 1961 Erwin and Sandra and son Greg moved to Sitka, where Erwin worked for Alaska Lumber and Pulp.
They had two more children, Brad and Carrie, and taught them all “to love and respect this beautiful land in which we are blessed to live.”
During more than half a century of living in Sitka, Erwin worked also as a freelance carpenter/handyman, and a pest controller provider, and eventually ran Farmer’s Maintenance with his wife, until they retired.
Most people knew him for his dedication, and service to his God Jehovah. His faith was his guild, and his family his passion; something he never retired from.
He is survived by his wife, and best friend of 57 years Sandra K. (Ryker) Farmer; his oldest son Gregory and wife Rena Farmer, Portland, Oregon, and son Bradley Farmer, San Mateo, Alajuela, Costa Rica; his daughter Carrie McGlone and her husband Josh McGlone, Sitka; and his daughter by heart, Susan Snyder, Sitka.
His five grandchildren are James, Kirstin and Kyra McGlone, Sitka; Anthony Farmer, Ventura, California; and Prana Castallian, Makawao, Hawaii.
He also leaves his sister and her husband, Elaine and Harley Hisey, Eugene, Oregon; sister-in-law and brother in-law Judy and Allen Graves, Oakland, Oregon; and cousins, nieces and nephews, grand ones included.
There are countless others through the years who thought of him as their father, grandfather, and dear friend.
He said he had always wished he had had more children, and his family would remind him of all those he adopted along the way. Those who needed a dad, or a grandpa ... he was there.
His passions included smoking salmon, reloading ammo, target practice, clam digging, and dip-netting salmon at the falls of Necker Bay with the brown bears and his good buddy Art Ware. He was fearless on the open ocean in his 16-foot Lund – so much so that it’s a wonder he made it home sometimes. But he always did.
“His smile is the first thing people say they will miss. We will miss that too,” his family said.
Services are to be held 5 p.m. Saturday, July 18, at the Kingdom Hall Of Jehovahs Witness, 519 Monastery St.
No reception is to follow, but all are welcome to join in celebrating his life.
