I first met John Richard Farris in the fall of 1978. It was shortly after I met my huband to be, Dan Farris. Dan fell in love with me very quickly. One day, he asked if I wanted to come with him to his parents house for dinner.
Dan's family reminded me of a grown-up Brady Bunch. The Farris family's home was a small house in the Los Altos area of Long Beach. Everything inside of it was perfect. His mom made perfect meals and everything was so neat and clean inside.
Dan's dad thought I looked very young and told Dan to date someone closer to his age! At the time, I was 22 years old and Dan was 25.
A month or two later, we took Dan's parents out for lunch and told them we were engaged.
Only about 5 months later, on April 7, 1979, we were married. I became a Farris.
The photo in this blog post shows Dad and Mom Farris surrounded by his six children, their spouses, and their two grandchildren on that day. (John is wearing a flower on his jacket and is standing next to Freda who is in a green dress. She is also wearing a flower.)
Dan's family was very close. One reason for that was because of their father. He loved his children and grandchildren very much. Meals and holidays and family visits were the center of the household.
During the years that Dan and I lived in Long Beach as a married couple (1979 to 1988), we could always go to Mom and Dad Farris' house and feel at home.
Dan's father loved to make things. Almost all the furniture in their house was made by Dan's dad. His favorite thing to do was to be inside the garage working on a project.
Christmas at the Farris household was the type of Christmas I only thought existed on television. Real candles were put on the tree. The tree was always decorated beautifully and a certain way. Every member of the family somehow got there on Christmas Day. Celebrating being a family went on for hours.
There were also wonderful birthday celebrations and get-togethers on other holidays, and spur of the moment dinners. The family always prayed together before meals.
Dan loved his father so much. Once in awhile, they would take long walks together. Dan's parents took long walks together every day. They would also ride bikes.
Dan and I moved to San Francisco in April of 1988. From that point forward, our visits to Dan's parents were planned. We no longer could just drop by for dinner. For awhile, we made it a priority to be there every Christmas. After we moved to Colorado in late 1991, that became harder to do.
Still, Mom and Dad Farris were always there. Dan wrote his father letters every week. Since his father's hearing wasn't great, that had become the best way to communicate.
John and Freda Farris had 6 children: Sandy, Pat and Mike (identical twins), Jack, Dan, and Penny. Their house's walls were covered with wonderful photos showing the family's life history.
Sandy was born during World War 2, and Dan's dad had served in the military. When Sandy was a baby, Dan's mom had been a classic "Rosie the Riveter." After John returned, she became a full time wife and mother.
When Dan was little, the family bought a new home in the Los Altos area of Long Beach. The kids walked to the neighborhood schools. Dan told me that every day when his dad would return from work, that he'd hug each child.
Anyway, John Farris' life was a special one. All six of his children loved him dearly. He lived 90 years. He was a self-taught engineer who worked for Douglas Aircraft for years. He had nine grandchildren, 4 great-grand children, and one great-great grandchild.
His six children and wife and 3 of his grandchildren were gathered around him when he passed away on February 22, 2010.
I wish I could hug everyone whose life was touched by John Richard Farris. He was truly was a great man. I feel so honored to be a part of his loving family.
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