Gilbert Farley Obituary

Gilbert LaMar Farley, 88, peacefully passed from this life on Wednesday, July 12, 2023 at his home in Durango, Colorado surrounded by family. Gil was a loyal and loving husband, father, Papa, great grandpa and friend. Although he will be greatly missed, his family is incredibly grateful that he is no longer suffering because of his recent health challenges.

Gil was born October 17, 1934 to John Gilbert Farley and Zora Elva Clark in Provo, Utah. He was the beloved elder brother of Farrell Clark Farley (Sue), Merline Farnsworth-deceased (Bruce), Chastie Lee Larsen (John), and Martin Lloyd Farley (Debbie). After high school, Gil joined the United States Army and served in the Korean War. Soon after returning home from Korea, he attended Brigham Young University. Gil married his childhood sweetheart and love of his life, Dianne Beck on May 3, 1957 in the LDS Los Angeles Temple. Their 67 years together have been filled with lots of love and happiness. Their home was filled with six amazing children: Russell (Rusty) Craig Farley (Eva), Ronald (Ronnie) Scott Farley-deceased, Cindy Dianne Tuck (Pete), Douglas (Doug) Steven Farley (Carol), Suzanne Marie McBride (Tracy), and Thomas (Tom) Brandon Farley (Keely). Gil was Papa to 19 grandchildren and 25 great grandchildren.

Gil's greatest desire was to provide his family with the love and stability he didn't have as a child. He went from living in a chicken coop as a boy to building the ranches of his dreams in both California and Colorado. He made sure his children understood the value of hard work and dedicated his life to modeling this virtue. Gil never sat still. He was resourceful, charismatic, and determined. He began his career in the banking industry as a teller for Bank of America. He worked his way up the ladder and moved to Home Savings and Loan. By the time he retired, Gil was Senior Executive Vice President of Coast Federal Bank, which encompassed the entire California Savings Division. Even as Gil pursued a demanding career, he always put his family first. Even though his office was located in downtown Los Angeles on Wilshire Boulevard, Gil wanted his children raised in a small, close-knit community in the country where they could learn to work hard. Instead of moving his family to the city, he chose to settle in Yucaipa, California, and commute 2 1/2 hours each way to work every single day for 23 years. Despite the time away from home, Gil always felt his sacrifice was worth it for his family. He wisely used the extra time in the car to better himself. He listened to lots of books, studied the scriptures, and even learned to play the guitar, using the steering wheel as a fret. Gil became quite an accomplished musician and played in a band on the weekends in his younger years. He blessed the lives of his family with his music and was often found, guitar in hand, singing to his children and grandchildren.

Gil had many interests and hobbies. He was a ping pong champion in Korea and enjoyed a wide variety of sports throughout his life. His competitive nature and love for the outdoors kept him active until the very end of his life. He especially enjoyed playing tennis, golf, and pickle ball. He was always up for a challenge and often beat competitors half his age, much to their surprise! Gil was also a pilot and loved to fly. His only regret was never having the opportunity to fly helicopters. Gil was also a devoted member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His faith was a great strength to his family.

The Farley Family will be meeting together on their property on Saturday, July 22, 2023, for a family celebration honoring the life of Gil. He lived an incredible life and was a blessing to many. Gilbert LaMar Farley overcame many hardships and beat unfathomable odds, creating a family where he is completely treasured. He will be greatly missed!