Thomas J. Farrell

DRACUT- Thomas J. Farrell, 83, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family at Lowell General Hospital on April 20, 2016 following a long illness. For 61 years he was the devoted and loving husband of Pauline A. (Paquin) Farrell, who predeceased him by eight months. Their marriage was inspirational and a true life partnership based on love and respect.

Born in Lowell on August 30, 1932, he was a son of the late John J. and Josephine V. (Duffy) Farrell. He graduated from Lowell High School in 1950, and studied business at the Richmond Professional Institute of the College of William and Mary. During the Korean War era he served in the United States Air Force in London and in the Azores as a Staff Sergeant. Among his service duties was decoding classified reconnaissance reports. For over 30 years, he and his wife, Pauline, owned and operated C.S.I., a government contracting business in Lowell. For many years Tom was an active member of numerous local business groups including: The Rotary Club, The Small Business Association of New England, and the Lowell Business Council. In the early 1970's he served on the Dracut Housing Authority Planning Board and was instrumental in the design and development of affordable elderly housing.

He was completely devoted to his family and dedicated to his business, and loved the challenges and fulfillment that came from both. He was a wonderful husband, father and grandfather who always put his family first, especially the children. His family cherishes Papa's collection of humorous children's stories and songs. He was thoughtful, kind, generous, and loving, had a terrific sense of humor, a strong work ethic, and a deep faith. He taught his children to use humor and laughter as a way to overcome difficult times, and the importance of forgiveness. Like his wife, he was adventurous and enjoyed traveling. He was an avid reader, amassing a personal library of thousands of books on history, politics, philosophy, and finance.

He will be deeply missed by his five daughters: Roselyn and James Parkhurst, Kathleen and Michael McCarthy, Allison and Brian Hannigan of Dracut, Leslie Farrell of Lowell, and Jennifer and Robert Savory of Danvers, and by his two sons, Christopher Farrell of New Orleans, LA, and Thomas and Kate Farrell of Methuen. Papa will be sadly missed by his eleven grandchildren, Matthew and (Julie) Hannigan, Jeffrey and (Amanda) Hannigan, Kaleigh Hannigan, James Parkhurst and his companion Danielle Hickey, Evan Parkhurst, and Jonathan and (Tracy) Parkhurst, Zane Melillo, Kyle Melillo, Quinn Farrell, Sean McCarthy, and Sloan Farrell; his three great granddaughters, Lily and Ava Hannigan, and Emily Parkhurst, and his great grandson Elliot Parkhurst. He will be dearly missed by his loving sisters Madeline Reynolds and C. Ruth Pentedemos, and his in-laws, Linda and Clayton French, John and Judith Paquin, Richard and Laura Paquin, and Arthur Paquin, along with many dear nieces, nephews, and good friends.

In addition to his beloved wife, Pauline, he was predeceased by his two infant children Mary and Joseph Farrell, and by his brother John Farrell.