Allan Farnham

PLAINFIELD – Allan Farnham, 80, of Upper Road passed away on Sunday, May 28, 2023, at the Central Vermont Medical Center in Berlin surrounded by his family.

Born on August 14, 1942, he was the son of Donald and Sylvia (Page) Farnham.  He attended Plainfield School, which he left in the 8th grade to attend the “school of life”.

On April 29, 1968, he married Sandy Bessette of Montpelier.  Following their marriage, they made their home in the Plainfield and Marshfield area. She was the love of his life who he often credited for instilling family values.

Allan was a 4th generation Plainfielder whose ties to the Central Vermont area were deeply meaningful to him. His most boastful accomplishment was his family. He was always quick to express his pride in his children and the lives they were making.  He was equally prideful of the expansion of his family with the addition of their life partners and grandchildren.

Allan’s work was his life, and life was his work. There was no other place that he found greater happiness than in a piece of equipment. He had a several decade’s long relationship with the land through farming, logging, excavating, and maple sugaring. He instilled that hard work ethic to his children and he shared his life experiences with others in a way that influenced them. The trail of his work can be appreciated through ponds, resurrected stonewalls, foundations, and homestead site work across his home state. Leaving his mark in this way was of great importance to him as was passing along his skills and knowledge to his oldest son to carry on his business. He also spent many years working on the road crew for the Town of Plainfield, overseeing others as foreman for a time. Beyond excavator controls, he displayed his abilities with all things he touched with his hands from welding, to woodworking, to mechanical work on his beloved Farmall tractors.

One of Allan’s favorite past times was storytelling, from growing up on the farm to his antics and escapades with friends, to Plainfield history, he brought the past to life. He also enjoyed gardening, fishing, cooking, trains, dancing, “spontinas”, and wind chimes. In the later years, he enjoyed Sunday drives any day of the week. Most of all though, he loved spending time with his family.

Survivors include his wife Sandy Farnham, his children Kevin Farnham and his wife, Tammy; Kristie Farnham and her partner, Denis Fowler; and Kyle Farnham and his wife, Kathy; his grandchildren Erika, Courtney and Kelyn and his great-grandson Luke.

In addition to his parents, his brother Darrell Farnham and his sister-in-law Judy Farnham predeceased him.

Friends and family are welcome to the open house celebration of life at his home on Sunday, June 18, 2023, from 2 pm – 5 pm. Food will be provided. BYOB, no RSVP necessary.