John "Jack" M. Farrell

John “Jack” Farrell passed away with his wife Cathy by his side on December 5, 2023. He was 81 years old. He was born on November 14, 1942, in Boston, Massachusetts, the son of Laurence and Edith Farrell.

Jack and Cathy grew up in the same neighborhood in Boston. Jack always had his eye on Cathy and he told all his friends that he would marry her one day. During his childhood, Jack’s father would take him up to Prince Edward Island, Canada, for summer vacations. Shortly after he graduated from high school, Jack tried out for the Boston Red Sox. Out of the many potential recruits, Jack was one of ten who were selected by the Red Sox to advance to the final try-out for a pitcher position. However, he had already signed up to join the Air Force. While serving in the Air Force from 1960-1964, Jack was primarily stationed in Anchorage, Alaska, where he loved the surrounding wildlife. He shared fantastic tales of grizzly bear encounters, icy water plunges, salmon fishing, northern lights, and seeing the beautiful American West from the sky.

Upon returning to Boston in 1964, Jack spotted Cathy’s sister Nicky in Egleston Square and asked if Cathy was married yet. Happy to hear that she wasn’t, Jack called up Cathy and a year later, on September 11, 1965, they were married. They settled in Boston and Jack worked at a brokerage firm and became a trader. In 1967, Jack and Cathy welcomed twin sons. Becoming a father brought him pride and joy. Jack was known as a great conversationalist with a mischievous sense of humor and he connected with many people, including his in-laws Angelo and Mary.

In 1975, after passing a rigorous exam process with flying colors and receiving a nomination for the position of Foreign Service Officer from House Majority Leader (and future Speaker of the House) Congressman Tip O’Neil, Jack became a diplomat for the Foreign Service of the U.S. Department of State and began one of the most exciting chapters of his life.

Jack’s first assignment as a Foreign Service Officer was to Brussels, Belgium. Jack and Cathy adapted well to their new life abroad and thoroughly enjoyed traveling together with their sons. Jack’s next assignment was to Moscow and in 1978, they welcomed a daughter born in Berlin, Germany. His subsequent assignments were to Vienna, Kuwait City, London, Zagreb, Istanbul, and Luxembourg. Jack made friends everywhere he went and he loved taking road trips and train journeys to explore. He had particularly fond memories of his time in Croatia and Slovenia; he often spent time in Dubrovnik on the Adriatic Sea and in the Julian Alps. During those 21 years of living abroad, Jack traveled throughout Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East.

Jack received several awards during his time in the foreign service and was recognized for his “25 years of service and dedication to the government of the United States”. He had the honor of meeting several U.S. presidents and foreign dignitaries. Upon retiring, he moved to Maine where he was happy to live near his son John and his grandchildren. During the 27 years that Jack lived in Maine, he and John became the best of friends. Jack and Cathy often traveled to Québec and one of his favorite places to visit was Lac-Mégantic.

Jack is survived by his wife, Catherine Farrell; his children, John Farrell and his wife Tracy, James Farrell, and Juliana Farrell and her husband Chris. He leaves behind his beloved grandchildren; Matthew, Nicholas, Thomas, Danielle, Patrick, Jill, Hugh, and Eve.