Obituary of Jack Dellford Farnsworth

Jack D. Farnsworth passed away peacefully in his sleep on July 7th at the age of 65. He was born in Berkeley, CA to Nelda “Sunny” Bingo (nee Fairchild) and Jack B. Farnsworth. He is survived by his son, Jack Farnsworth III, his daughter Chandra Lin Farnsworth, his daughter-in-law Cynthia L. Farnsworth, soon to be son-in-law Sean Downey, his grandchildren Joseph, Victoria and Jacinda, his brother Frank, his sister Jill, his mother and many other loving family members and friends. He was preceded in death by his father. “Pop” was the most giving, selfless, and thoughtful person known; he gave everything for his kids and grandkids. He was a very independent and proud man. He moved in with his son to save money for his daughter’s wedding. Then, although he was a very independent person, he stayed there when his son was laid off to help with the bills. In addition to being a devoted dad to his children, Pop had many exceptional talents. In high school, he was involved in the Drama department doing technical work (though his teacher begged him to perform on stage, as he was always amusing his classmates with his offstage comedic antics). He was an avid linguist who particularly enjoyed speaking Italian, Swedish, and Finnish. He was a painter who loved working with acrylics in abstract and modern styles. He was a still photographer with a keen eye for composition and sensitivity to his subjects. He played acoustic guitar and sang with his kids. He was a history and geography buff with a particular interest in all things World War II. When it came to Scrabble and Trivial Pursuit he was a force to be reckoned with. He could out-doodle any doodle anywhere and had ridiculously perfect handwriting. He could even produce music with nothing but his fist and his armpit. But above all else, Pop was an amazing writer - the only greater gift than his gift of words and language was his ability to create such dynamic characters and fascinating stories. He could write one-liners and three hour screenplays and anything in between. His writing came effortlessly due to his linguistic skills and vivid imagination, both of which he encouraged in his children and grandchildren. Pop was a firm believer in the power of creativity as a means of self-expression. All his talents continued to inspire his family until the end, and will continue to for generations to come. Pop used to joke that his legacy would just be some "shower curtain rings that didn't fall down", a nod to one of his favorite films, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. But that couldn't be further from the truth. The truth is, Pop was one-of-a-kind - the type of rare human being that is artistic, generous, hard-working, devoted, loyal, intelligent, affectionate, and kind to small animals (just ask the neighborhood squirrels). In a nod of our own to the same film, "love... is not a big enough word. Not a big enough word to describe how we feel." We love you, Pop. You will be missed. Please feel free to sign the guest book and/or write a farewell message or remembrance.