Funeral For Robert Farley

Beth and Family, thank you for allowing me the privilege to be here with you all today. I am truly sorry for your loss and want you to know how ready your church family is to respond to any need we can possibly help with.

On behalf of the family, thank you to all who have come here today to celebrate the life of Robert Farley.

ROBERT'S OBITUARY

Robert Lee Farley, 81, of Princeton, passed away peacefully at Princeton Community Hospital on Sunday morning, July 11, 2021, with his family by his side.  Born March 25, 1940, in Princeton, he was the son of the late Roy and Madge Stiltner Farley.

Robert grew up in Princeton and was a 1958 graduate of Princeton High School.  On June 10, 1961, he married the love of his life, Elizabeth Meadows.  After Robert received a bachelor’s degree in business management from West Virginia Tech in 1963, he and Beth moved to Alexandria, VA.  Robert worked for Dominion Power for four years.  In 1967, Robert and his family returned to Princeton after the sudden and unexpected death of his mother to help care for his younger brother.

In 1967, Robert began his prestigious career at Appalachian Power Company.  At the age of 40, he went back to college and received an associate degree in electrical engineering from Bluefield State College.  Robert worked his way up from engineer to line superintendent to district manager, the title he held until his retirement in 1998.

Robert became a member of the Princeton-Mercer County Chamber of Commerce in 1996 through Appalachian Power Company.  Upon his retirement from the power company, he accepted the position of executive assistant at the chamber.  In 2004, Robert became the CEO and president of PMCCC where he served on numerous boards, advisory committees, and task forces throughout the community.  He was a member of the executive board of the Mercer County Convention and Visitors Bureau for 22 years, serving the role of president many times.  He served on the Southern WV Convention and Visitors Bureau from 2008-2018.  He was a member of the Rotary Club of Princeton since 1992, where he was a Paul Harris Fellow, past president, Volunteer of the Year, and recipient of the Joe Marsh Award. He served on Princeton Health Care Board of Directors from 2008-2019, during which time he served as chairman for 8 years.  Robert also served on the Princeton Community Hospital Foundation Board of Directors for many years, where he was ex officio member from 2004-2008, member from 2008-2010, and currently serving as chairman since 2011.  He was a member of the advisory committee for the Mercer County Career and Technical Center and was chairman of New River Community and Technical College Board from 2005-2019.  Robert was a member of Community Connections, the Princeton Baseball Association Board, and the Mercer County Economic Development Authority Board.  He was also a member of B.P.O.E. Lodge #1459 of Princeton.  Robert retired as CEO and president of PMCCC in March of 2018 to spend time with his family.  Upon retirement, he was instrumental in the formation of the Chamber of Commerce of the Two Virginias.  He was a lifetime member of First Baptist Church of Princeton, where he formerly served as Deacon, Sunday School teacher for the Junior High class from 1975-1977 and was a member of the Gary Linkous Sunday School class.

Robert is survived by his loving and devoted wife of 60 years, Elizabeth “Beth” Meadows Farley; three daughters, Robin White, Pam Rickman, and Rebecca Pauley and husband Billy, all of Princeton; five grandchildren, Justin Hypes and companion Sarah Jennings, Savannah Hypes, Megan Rickman, Tanner Pauley and wife Khylea, and Paityn Pauley; five great-grandchildren, Trent Hypes, Ameliana Bennett, Ryker Hypes, Grant Rickman, and Keiana Kitts; and three brothers, Mike Farley and wife Barbara of Melbourne, FL, David Farley and wife Jan of Princeton, and Patrick Farley and husband Duane Cooper of Pittsburgh, P

Patrick His brother would like to say a few words.

Prayer of comfort and blessing

John 14:1–4 ESV

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.”

Robert’s place has been prepared and is now occupied by him.

When trying to formulate a funeral message, you try and help the family replay memories through their mind. Maybe they remember things they had forgotten, things they noticed about the person. Things that made them unique.

It tells me a lot as a pastor about who he, Robert was. I heard stories about how proud he was of his work with the Chamber. How he, like me, loved to cut grass. As a matter of fact, I mowed today while replaying this message through my mind.

How he could practice sarcasm and a dry a sense of humor. How stubborn he could be. How his meeting Gary Linkous brought him back to church.

I heard stripper jokes, those that know Beth will get that, I heard stories about birthday cupcakes and toilet bowl rides down Mercer St. As I spent time with the family, We laughed together for a couple hours.

Then Beth told me a story about a small humming bird who had just run out of steam and fell onto her car. She got that bird to feed a couple of times and then it flew away. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to see and experience something so unique.

I really believe Beth that your time with Robert was just as unique, and even more precious.

James 4:14 ESV

yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.

Treasure that time and those memories.

It tells me a lot about the man to hear those stories. It tells me he was a man of faith even if it was sometimes a quietly strong faith.

Strong Quiet faith in dedicated believers.

I think the passages I am going to read today speak to that exact thing and why it is possible.

Psalm 18:1–6 ESV

I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of destruction assailed me; the cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears.

The first line of this set of verses is pretty straight forward.

Anyone believer who has ever gone through a loss, or really any hard time, knows that the Lord is our strength. He does not tell us we will have no trouble, instead He says

That WHEN you have trouble, He will be there with you,

going through it with you and strengthening you to get through it.

Withou God, I do not know how people make it through such times.

Today, I need that strength and I am sure many of you do as well.

The Rock

Psalm 18:2 ESV

The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

More than a firm foundation, he is a high place from which we can defend ourselves from those who mean us harm or in times of trouble where we can go to feel safe.

It is the image of a place high above it all. Where we can see the real lay of the land.

My shield- a thing I use to defend myself

The Horn of my Salvation - a symbol of strength and

A place that cannot be conquered.

We are safe in Him

Safe on Him

Worthy of our praise

Even when all seems lost

Death surrounds me

Hell encompasses me

When the world seems to be crashing down around me,

We Can Call Upon Him

He does hear us

1 Peter 3:12 ESV

For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

1 Peter 5:7 ESV

casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

He hears us!

He cares for us!

Philippians 4:6 ESV

do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Robert knows that so well today!

He is experiencing that first hand.

His quiet faith has delivered him.

That is why his quiet faith was so remarkable. Because it was SURE, and True. And today it brings comfort.

What do you have your faith in?

Will your faith deliver you?

If your faith is not in Jesus Christ, the son of God, it will not.

But, it is not too late for anyone here today.

I know Robert would love to know that you have come to the same saving knowledge that he had.

A quiet assurance in an immovable God.

A rock, A shield, A strength and a stronghold.

A God who hears us when we cry out to Him in our distress.

Robert knew that God.

And because he did, today is not the end. Today is the beginning of the best of life for Robert.

And today is a reminder that we can have that same quiet assurance that he experienced. If we will surrender our lives to Christ Jesus our Lord.

Graveside

Psalm 23 ESV

A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Robert, may your soul rest in the arms of our savior.

We will see you again!