During the early evening of Saturday, September 2, 2023, Thomas Francis Farrell Jr. passed away in a calm and serene manner, surrounded by his loved ones. Thomas was born in Philadelphia, and he lived in a number of different neighbourhoods within the city until relocating to Glassboro, New Jersey, to reside on the farm that his sister’s family owned. Thomas enlisted in the United States Navy in 1958, and it was via the United States Navy that he accomplished the goal of earning his General Education Development Diploma.
Following the conclusion of his military duty in 1961, he went on to work as a merchant marine and at a factory overseas before accepting a post as a police officer with the Haverford Township Police Department in 1963. The year 1976 marked the year when Thomas graduated from West Chester University with a degree in Criminal.
After a lengthy and highly accomplished career that included a five-year spell as an undercover detective, Thomas retired from the Houston Police Department in 1995 after 38 years of service as an officer in the department. Thomas was a devoted sports fan who had been a follower of the Philadelphia Phillies, Philadelphia Eagles, and Philadelphia Sixers for his entire life.
At Schieb Park, Franklin Field, and Veterans Stadium, he spent a significant amount of time, both during the day and at night, vociferously cheering for and occasionally criticising his favourite Philadelphia sports teams. The sport of baseball was Thomas’s first love, and he participated in the school’s varsity squad while attending Glassboro High School.
Later on, he went on to play softball in leagues all around Delaware County, and he once pitched a “perfect game” in slow pitch softball while playing for the Gehris Lanes squad. Thomas tied the knot with his beloved Elizabeth Lucetta Farrell, whose maiden name was Carey, in 1967.
They were married for a total of 56 years and were blessed with three devoted children: Careyann, Tara, and Ryan. His loyal grandchildren, Carsan, Pierce, and Tyson, are the only ones who will carry on his legacy. Mary McMenamin, Elizabeth Gruss, Ruth Caruso, and Ethel DeMoss were Thomas’s four loving sisters who had transitioned before him. Thomas was the youngest of the four.
His brother-in-law Joesph “Pete” Carey, his sister-in-law Mary Louis Demarino, and his brother-in-law Edward Carey, who has transitioned, are the only members of his family to outlive him.
