E. John Farley

Edward "John" Farley passed away peacefully on Wednesday, May 20, 2020 at the age of 86. His beloved and devoted wife of 28 years, Christine Bosna Farley, was by his side. John lived his life to the fullest and continues to be loved by the many people whose lives were enriched by having known him.

John was born on April 2, 1934 in Boston, Massachusetts, to Dr. Edward J. Farley and Barbara. John grew up in Stoughton, Massachusetts and attended Stoughton High School, where he earned 10 varsity letters and served as captain of the varsity football team. He graduated in 1952, and in 2010, John was inducted into the Stoughton High School Athletic Hall of Fame.

John earned a BA from Colby College in Waterville, Maine, where he was voted President of Phi Delta Theta Fraternity and elected to the Men's Judiciary Committee from 1954-1956. He continued his education in the MBA program at Boston College.

John was a proud veteran, serving in the United States Marine Corps from 1956-1959, during which time he rose to the rank of Captain. After serving his country, John embarked on a long and successful career in the pharmaceutical industry. He began as a pharmaceutical sales representative for The Upjohn Company. Soon thereafter, John became Senior Director of Client Services at Sudler & Hennessey, in New York City.

In 1973, John and his colleague Pat Dugan formed Dugan Farley Communications (DFC) Associates, Inc., in Upper Saddle River, NJ. John served as President and Chief Executive specializing in healthcare accounts. The DFC client roster included major pharmaceutical companies such as Merck and Company, Lederle Laboratories, and Ciba Pharmaceuticals. Building a company from the ground up with partners Pat Dugan, Clay Warrington, Marty Ross and Eric Rathje, working with many wonderful employees at DFC was one of the greatest joys and honors of John's life.

In 1991, after much success, John sold his company to retire to Wilmington, North Carolina, where he and Christine built their dream home and began enjoying their retirement. John and Chris forged many enduring friendships that enriched their lives in so many ways. John was often seen chasing after his dog Finn who consistently broke free to terrorize neighborhood squirrels.

John was a born leader and competitor, with a lifelong passion for sports. Whether as athlete or coach, sports played an enormous role in John's life. John particularly loved golf, except for the times he didn't. He achieved a total of seven hole in ones and was thrilled with his career-low round of 75 beating his age by four strokes. However, as many will attest, he had a unique way of expressing his distaste for an errant shot, legendary in fact. To this day, you can find some of John's fewer cooperative irons and woods in water hazards and magnolias across the southeast. For John, however, sports were more about the people than the field of play. His passion for golf and the respect from his peers lead him to be elected President of the Country Club of Landfall 2000-2001. His club and his golfing buddies were dear to him. Even late into his life, he was surrounded by his friends who loyally supported and encouraged John to do what he could and to stay connected, even as his ability to play the game declined.

John is survived by brothers Jay Farley and wife Barbara, Dick Farley and wife Mary, sisters Susan Blanchette and husband Al, Jane Golden and husband Michael, and children Barbara Kokenes, Gayle Douglas and husband George, Deborah Leibundgut and husband Peter, Scott Farley and wife Renee, John Beausang and wife Amy, Alex Beausang and wife Ellen and numerous adoring grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces and nephews. John was preceded in death by first wife Charmian deVesty Farley and son Jay Farley.

The family would like to thank the wonderful staff of Lower Cape Fear LifeCare as well as his amazing team of doctors and other healthcare team members in Wilmington, North Carolina.

We will truly miss this outstanding man and will carry him always in our hearts. May John rest peacefully and eternally in God's hands. Semper Fi.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Homes of Hope India (https://www.homeofhopeindia.org/). Due to COVID-19 and associated local and state restrictions, there will not be a traditional service at this time. When we are all able to safely enjoy each other's company, we will get together to celebrate John and his life.