PORTLAND – William N. “Bill” Farwell, 94, of Falmouth passed away Friday, May 8, at Maine Medical Center.

He was born May 5, 1915, in Unity, the son of Almond Farwell and E. Maude Farwell. He began his schooling in a one-room schoolhouse across the road from his parents’ home. He graduated from Unity High School in 1931 at the age of 16. He graduated from the University of Maine in 1936 where he was a member of Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity.

After teaching school in Buckfield for two years, he began a 34-year teaching career at Greeley Institute in Cumberland. He first taught vocational agriculture, then mathematics, and ended his teaching career as the school principal in 1971. Bill loved teaching and was a fair-minded disciplinarian who respected his students and was respected in return. He was a man of truth and integrity.

Mr. Farwell was a founding member of the Cumberland County Teachers Credit Union in 1954 and served on the board of directors for 44 years. He was a member of the Knights of Pythias and belonged to the Cumberland Farmers Club where he served as its treasurer for many years. He was an active member of the Falmouth Congregational Church, serving in several capacities. For many years he could be found on high school basketball courts refereeing the games around southern Maine. He also enjoyed playing golf and was one of the original investors in Val Halla Golf Club.

He married his high school sweetheart, Avis Ward, in 1936, and they had three children. Bill and Avis enjoyed many years wintering in Florida where they spent time shuffle boarding and meeting new friends. Bill also enjoyed carpentry, traveling, cooking, gardening, the Red Sox, and crossword puzzles. At the age of 85, he learned to use a computer and enjoyed e-mailing friends and using the Internet.

He is survived by his wife of 72 years, Avis; a son, Brian Farwell and wife, Linda, of Phillips; two daughters, Martha Peterson and husband, John, of Mount Vernon, Wash., and Deborah Auclair and husband, Paul, of Cumberland; seven grandchildren, Susan Bachand and husband, Craig, of Casco, Jeffrey Farwell of Mount Laurel, N.J., Erik Peterson and wife, Kerri, of Seattle, Wash., Jennifer Grusz and husband, Bryan, of Bellevue, Wash., Kristen Garvie and husband, Drew, of Fredericksburg, Va., Alison Scheib and husband, Peter, of Camden, Nicole Auclair of Arlington, Mass.; and four great-grandchildren, Lola and Adeline Garvie, Rachel Scheib and Braedyn Peterson.

He was predeceased by two sisters, Lilla Pierpont and Margaret Tweedie.

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