Harold Farley
Harold Farley

Obituary of Harold Farley

Harold Tremayne Farley Harold Tremayne Farley passed away peacefully in his sleep at Willow Park Assisted Living in Boise on December 26, 2011, at the age of 97. His was a life well lived and he was always thankful to have spent 70 of his years married to the love of his life, Hazel, who preceded him in death in 2007. Harold was born to Jess W. and Lydia Tremayne Farley in Ogden, Utah on April 20, 19l4. His mother, brother Carl and Harold moved to Albion, Idaho in 1916. He graduated from Albion High School and attended Albion Normal School, then a two year teachers college, where he obtained his teaching credentials. He played football and basketball while at Albion Normal, and was very proud of being the toughest 145 LB. center he thought the football team ever had. Harold began his career in education as a teacher in a two room school in Minidoka County in 1933. He would proudly tell his children and his friends that his starting salary was $60 per month for nine months, but he earned an extra $15 per month building the fires each day to keep the school rooms warm. In 1935 Harold became a teacher and the Principal at Rupert High School. During the same year he met Hazel Neal on a blind date. They were married May 1, 1937. Shortly after World War II broke out, Harold joined the U.S. Civil Service and became a specialist in aircraft electronics. His abilities took him and Hazel to Seattle, Washington where he used his electronics skill to design, construct and install bomb release mechanisms on the various bombers utilized during the war. Daughter Jean Farley was born in 1942. Following the war he returned to teaching, became Superintendent of Schools of the Craigmont, Idaho school district in 1947 and later attained his Masters in Education from the University of Idaho. Son Don Farley was born in 1948. In 1954 Harold accepted a position with the Idaho State Department of Education and the family moved to Boise. When Harold's life-long friend Del Engelking was elected as State Superintendent of Public Instruction for Idaho, Harold became Deputy Superintendent, and retained the position until his retirement in 1975. He devoted the majority of his professional life to bettering the education system in Idaho, for students, for teachers and for administrators. He was very proud of his accomplishments. Our father was a strong man physically and mentally. He survived the depression in rural Idaho with a single mother and brother. He was self taught outside of his formal education. He survived a hunting accident in 1950 when he was shot through the chest and walked out of the mountains because his companions were too distraught to carry him. He survived heart surgery in 1974 and colon cancer in the 1980's after refusing further chemotherapy. He worked hard for everything he had, but he was kind, loving and generous with our mother, his family and his friends. When he retired from education he passionately pursued his second love, fly fishing. He and mom kept a small trailer near the Big Lost River in Mackay, Idaho, where they would spend the summer and fall, fishing nightly on the Big Lost. Before he had to give it up at age 90 he could still wade the stream, put a fly precisely where he wanted it and hook a trout that made his son and his grandchildren envious. Always a teacher, he patiently and proudly passed along his knowledge and his skills in so many things to all of us. There were no doubt occasions when we should have listened more intently. We will miss him. Harold was preceded in death by his wife Hazel, and his brother Carl Farley. He is survived by his daughter, Jean Best and her husband Michael of Fox Island, Washington, grandson Jon Pelto and his wife May of Seattle, grand daughter Jodi Martinez and her husband Vicente of Seattle, son Don Farley and his wife Geridee of Boise, grandson Brandon Farley and his wife Drennen, of Atlanta, Georgia, grandson Ryan Farley and his wife Bethany, of Dallas, Texas, and 9 great grandchildren. A graveside service will be held at Morris Hill Cemetery in Boise at 3:00PM on Wednesday, December 28. In lieu of flowers Harold wanted any donation sent to the Idaho Youth Ranch. Friends and family are invited to a celebration of Harold's life at the home of Geridee and Don Farley at 4:30PM.
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