Franklin Harris Farmer, 68, of Gloucester Point, Va., passed away on March 12 at his residence.
Born in Boothbay Harbor, he was the son of the late Franklin and Kora Harris Farmer. His grandparents were the late Walter E. and Florence G. McKown Farmer and the late Lincoln M. and Daisy L. Jackson Harris.
Dr. Farmer was educated at Tufts University, class of 1960, with a B.S. in Biology; Virginia Tech, with an M.S. in bacteriology in 1965 and a Ph.D. in Food Service and Technology in 1976; and an M.A. in Anthropology from William and Mary in 1985.
Dr. Farmer was employed by the U.S. Navy from 1960-1962, and NASA Langley Research Center from 1965-2004. He was also a Commander in the Naval Reserves for 28 years.
He had many interests during life. He was an active dancer doing English country dance, contra dance, and Scottish county, as well as having learned ballroom dancing as a young man. He was very active doing genealogy, family history, local Maine history, as well as doing local archeology in Maine and Virginia. His other interests included sailing and canoeing with his friends.
He was predeceased in by his first wife of 30 years, Joyce Howard Farmer, in 2002.
Survivors include his wife, Sarah E. Barker Farmer; children, Franklin Howard Farmer, Clare D. Farmer Hall, and Scott McKown Farmer; stepchildren, Elizabeth Ann Richie Herkner Da Silva and John Robert Verrall Herkner; sister, Lucinda G. Farmer Krauter; and granddaughters, Aislee Joyce Thomas and Alyssa Jordan Hall.
Funeral services, officiated by Rev. Stephen Young, were held March 15 at Hogg Funeral Home in Gloucester Point, Va.
Interment will be at Decker’s Cemetery in Southport at a later date.
The family received friends prior to the service at the funeral home.
Memorial contributions in Dr. Farmer’s memory may be made to Southport Historical Society, P.O. Box 3, Southport, ME 04576 or Boothbay Region Historical Society, P.O. Box 272, 72 Oak St., Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538.