Obituary

Alfred Edward Farley passed away on June 13, 2003 in Carmichael, California at the age of 78.

Alfred (Al), was born in Falfa, Colorado, a little town just outside of Durango, on May 24, 1925 to James and Agnes Farley. During the Great Depression, and when Al was 4 or 5 years old, he moved with his family to Lodi, CA where they picked crops and lived in tents with furniture made of wooden crates. They traveled north to Washington for the apple harvest. The Farley family finally settled in Woodbridge, CA where Al learned to fish, gig frogs, and catch crawdads. As a depression-era child, his favorite dessert was lettuce sprinkled with sugar.

In May 1944, during WWII, Al entered the Merchant Marines where he served as a Seaman and, later, as an Able-Bodied Seaman. He sailed in many dangerous waters in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans during the war where he spent months at sea. His service to his country ended in October 1945, after the end of WWII.

Al married Della Mae Howard on September 12, 1947, and they were happily married for 55 years. They lived their lives together in Santa Monica, Huntington Beach, and Laguna Hills, CA, but they spent most of their life together in Carmichael, CA. They had four children, Linda Eichberger, Trina Gentle, William (Bill) Farley, and John Farley.

Al was a loving and devoted husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, father-in-law, brother, and uncle. An avid outdoorsman and sportsman, he enjoyed fishing, camping, golfing, baseball, swimming, and riding motorcycles. Al played in numerous golf tournaments and won many. He often said that had it not been for WWII, he would have become a pro golfer. Al and Della often visited various casinos together where he played Blackjack while Della played the slots.

Al worked hard around the house. He was very skilled and knowledgeable in caring for the outside landscaping, which he learned while he worked as a gardener in Los Angeles after he left the Merchant Marines. He could answer any question asked related to various plants, shrubs, and trees. When it was time to relax, he enjoyed sipping a cold can of Coors. Al hosted many BBQs at their home in Carmichael and was known to jump into the pool on occasion to save a struggling child.

The highlight of Al’s career was the years he worked in the aerospace industry for McDonald Douglas as a Missile Technician. He had a distinguished career working on many of the Apollo missions in the race to the moon. His career took him and his family back and forth between the Los Angeles and Sacramento areas. He spent a year or so in Florida, away from his family, working on Skylab at the Kennedy Space Center. Al retired in 1985 after 35 years of service.

At the time of Al’s death, he was survived by his wife Della, children Linda, Trina, Bill, and John, and many grandchildren and great grandchildren. He made numerous lasting contributions to the world he lived in and was loved by his family and friends. A graveside service will be held on May 2, 2025 at Fair Oaks Cemetery District in Fair Oaks, California where Al and Della will be interred together; Oak Knoll, Niche G, Row 01, Grave 07. His plaque will read, “Gone Fishin’” to commemorate his joy of fishing.