After graduating from Jackson High School in 1962, he joined the US Navy where he completed Radio School and Submarine School. He served on the USS Pickerel (SS254) and enjoyed duty in Hawaii, Japan, Washington State, and San Diego California.
In 1969, he was stationed at a US Navy base in San Diego, CA where he opted to re-enlist and was sent to New London, Connecticut for training to teach Radio School. While at a party with other military personnel away from the base, but still in bounds for recall to duty, he was waiting for a ride back to the base when another man became angry and pulled out a pistol and fired 2 shots, wounding Jim and changing the course of his life drastically. The doctors did not have much hope for his survival, however he, being the stubborn sort, went on to prove them wrong. He was transferred to the VA Hospital in Memphis, TN, where he was able to regain his ability to speak and the use of his left arm.
In 1971, during a family trip to Sweetwater, Texas, Jim met June Garrison. June had two sons from her first marriage, Arthur and Roger. They later married and he adopted the boys. Soon after, they had sons William and Jonathan. Jim enjoyed his time with all of the boys and helped with extracurricular activities they participated in such as the Cub Scouts and soccer when they joined the school team. Even though he was in a wheelchair, he did not let it stop him from attending their games or going on vacations with the family.
As the boys became adults and had their own families, he would sometimes babysit the grandchildren and as they got older, they would walk with him while he went around the neighborhood in his power chair.
As the years went on, it was not an unusual sight to see him out and about usually headed to the church or to the Cracker Barrel where he was on a first name basis with most of the staff. He may have been confined to a wheelchair, but he was not letting that get in the way of enjoying all life had to offer. He liked watching the Army Navy game each year and was a huge fan of University of Tennessee football. If he was not wearing his cowboy hat, you would see him sporting an orange and white UT cap or one with US Navy Veteran and the number of his boat with a set of dolphins pinned to it.
In the early morning of February 25, 2023, William James Farmer III went to his eternal reward. He is survived by his sisters, Hughla Francis Josie and Margaret Ethel Brown, his children Roger Carroll Farmer and William Thomas Farmer, grandchildren Christian Diana Farmer, Wynde Gwynne Lewis, Rebecca Carroll Farmer, Arthur James Farmer Webb, William Thomas Henry Farmer, and Jonathan Alexander Farmer, and great-grandchildren Levi Tutor, Landon Tutor, Hailie Hernandez, Jayson Cornelius, Rayna Cornelius, Maylee Leavesley, and Payslee Leavesley.
He was preceded on his eternal journey by his parents, William James Farmer II and Ruth Gardner Farmer, sister Betty Jean Counts, and children Arthur Frank Farmer and Jonathan Andrew Farmer.
Family and friends will gather on Thursday, March 16, 2023 from four o’clock until seven o’clock in the evening and with funeral services following the morning of Friday, March 17 beginning at eleven o’clock all at Memphis Funeral Home, 5599 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, TN 38119. Burial with Navy Honors will follow with escorted procession to West Tennessee Veterans Cemetery at one o’clock that same afternoon.
Online condolences, floral gifts and directions may be offered by visiting www.memphisfuneralpoplar.net.
