Obituary for George Henry Farrell
In Loving Memory of George Henry Farrell
15 Jul 1945 – 17 Oct 2019.
Born in Battersea, London, George never met his biological father, who died in a fighter plane crash 5 months before George was born. As an only child with a single working mother, George found solace in nature, catching legless lizards, and beginning a lifelong passion for plants and animals.
In 1954, George moved to Canada with his mother Jean and her new husband Stan Farrell. In Toronto, George attended the newly opened Don Mills Collegiate Institute, where he excelled in cross-country running, football, and on the school’s championship basketball team.
George was a self-styled ‘Weekend Hippie,’ in Toronto’s Yorkville neighbourhood during the 1960s, where he later owned a photography studio. At Ryerson, George studied Radio, Television, and Journalism. During the 1980s, he worked in the Canadian film industry as a member of union IATSE 873, on productions such as The Terry Fox Story and Road to Avonlea. In 1988, George and his partner Michelle moved fulltime to their property in Gelert. Following a workplace injury, George reinvented himself as a documentary filmmaker, notably working on disability issue productions.
Later, George was employed solely in the Haliburton Highlands, writing for local publications and working at the Minden Hills Cultural Centre. He played an active role in the county’s arts and music scene, including singing in a blues band. He remained a resolute Toronto Maple Leafs fan.
George died on 17 Oct 2019 at the Haliburton Hospital from brain tumor complications. He is predeceased by his parents Stan and Jean, and survived by his partner Michelle St. Pierre and his sons Brendan and Tyson. Cremation has taken place. A celebration of George’s life, with music, is planned for the spring.
Memorial Donations to the Haliburton Highlands Health Services Foundation or the Nature Conservancy of Canada would be appreciated by the family, and can be arranged through the Gordon A. Monk Funeral Home Ltd, P.O. Box 427, Minden, Ontario K0M 2K0.
15 Jul 1945 – 17 Oct 2019.
Born in Battersea, London, George never met his biological father, who died in a fighter plane crash 5 months before George was born. As an only child with a single working mother, George found solace in nature, catching legless lizards, and beginning a lifelong passion for plants and animals.
In 1954, George moved to Canada with his mother Jean and her new husband Stan Farrell. In Toronto, George attended the newly opened Don Mills Collegiate Institute, where he excelled in cross-country running, football, and on the school’s championship basketball team.
George was a self-styled ‘Weekend Hippie,’ in Toronto’s Yorkville neighbourhood during the 1960s, where he later owned a photography studio. At Ryerson, George studied Radio, Television, and Journalism. During the 1980s, he worked in the Canadian film industry as a member of union IATSE 873, on productions such as The Terry Fox Story and Road to Avonlea. In 1988, George and his partner Michelle moved fulltime to their property in Gelert. Following a workplace injury, George reinvented himself as a documentary filmmaker, notably working on disability issue productions.
Later, George was employed solely in the Haliburton Highlands, writing for local publications and working at the Minden Hills Cultural Centre. He played an active role in the county’s arts and music scene, including singing in a blues band. He remained a resolute Toronto Maple Leafs fan.
George died on 17 Oct 2019 at the Haliburton Hospital from brain tumor complications. He is predeceased by his parents Stan and Jean, and survived by his partner Michelle St. Pierre and his sons Brendan and Tyson. Cremation has taken place. A celebration of George’s life, with music, is planned for the spring.
Memorial Donations to the Haliburton Highlands Health Services Foundation or the Nature Conservancy of Canada would be appreciated by the family, and can be arranged through the Gordon A. Monk Funeral Home Ltd, P.O. Box 427, Minden, Ontario K0M 2K0.