FARMER, Fay Doreen Farmer

Peacefully at home, with the love of her family surrounding her, after a very short decline in health.
Born at home on her grandparent’s farm on the Bonnechere River just outside of Renfrew Ontario to Stanley and Iva Barstead, Fay was the oldest of 5 children.
After her family left the farm, she grew up in Renfrew where she met Dennie Farmer and at the age of eleven decided they were going to marry. They did marry in 1954 and moved to Cobourg in 1956.
Fay was predeceased by her parents, husband Dennie (1986), sisters Gail (2009) and Elizabeth (2018), and nephew Jeff (2008). She is survived by her daughter Kathy (Dave) Chomitz and children Michael (Kelly Prodaniuk) Chomitz, Grace (Brad Wolgram) Chomitz, and Farmer (Roman Seregin) Chomitz; her daughter Pat Farmer and children Sarah (Niall Eccles) Koval, and Holly Koval; and her son Kevin Farmer. She is also survived by her brother Daryl (Anne) Barstead and sister Marilyn (Lee) Bell, as well as many nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews.
Fay was an elementary teacher in the Cobourg area for many years touching the lives of countless students and colleagues. She had an intuitive sense of how to reach children and spent hours setting up individual programs long before these became normal. She moved from the classroom to the Board Office and became a mentor for other teachers. Along the way she developed many rich rewarding friendships which lasted until her death. After her retirement in 1998 she literally fell into an adventurous second career as a tour leader for two tour companies and spent the next ten or so years travelling all over the world, having many adventures and using her skills as a teacher to make other’s travel experiences rewarding.
Fay was up for anything fun, and said she had decided early in life that she would say yes to anything! She loved to shop, travel, attend opera, ballet and musicals, Westben and the 4th line theater. She was able to do this with her family and friends. She was wickedly funny and quietly helpful.
Fay had boundless energy and capacity to love and care for her family and friends. She always had time for her five grandchildren and never missed a significant event in their lives. She was interested in everything they did and encouraged them to go out into the world to seek new experiences and learn everything they could. She supported her family in many quiet and sometimes very subtle ways. She taught us that education was important and that it opened the doors to almost everything.
Fay’s family would like to express their deep gratitude to Dr. Mark Essak for his gentle guidance and excellent palliative care.
A celebration of Fay’s life will take place in the MacCoubrey Funeral Home Reception Centre on Monday November 10, 2025 from 1 to 5 pm.