Thomas John Farrar

Thomas John Farrar

April 11, 1970 – October 6, 2026

Thomas John Farrar, affectionately known as Tommy, of Tahoe Vista, California, passed away on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, at the age of 56.

Tommy was born on April 11, 1970, on Long Island, New York where his parents were born and raised. He lived with his family in many places while growing up including Acton, MA, Milford, OH, Denton, TX, Atascocita, TX, and Novato, CA. Later in life he worked in the San Francisco Bay Area until finally settling in Tahoe Vista, CA.

Kind and funny, with a dry sarcastic sense of humor, Tommy was also thoughtful and introspective. He valued his solitude, loved his family and friends, and often expressed his care through quiet, practical acts. In the snowy Tahoe winters, he would often rise early to clear his mother’s decks and driveway of snow. When family came to visit, he was often the one who made the trip to the airport to welcome them and see them home.

A talented tennis player in his younger years, Tommy later found enjoyment in the outdoors through fishing, bow hunting, hiking, and camping. He was an accomplished snow boarder and loved getting out on the slopes with his family and friends. He also enjoyed woodworking, bringing patience and craftsmanship to both his work and his personal projects.

Tommy played an important role in helping his sister and mother raise and care for his niece, Lola. He often took her to school and to her many activities. He spent time with her snowboarding, sledding, going to the beach, hiking, taking her to the father/daughter dance at school and enjoying everyday life moments.

For the past few years, Tommy worked at ski resorts in the North Lake Tahoe area during the winter ski and snowboard season. He was also a talented carpenter who spent many years building custom cabinetry for contractors throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and the Lake Tahoe region.

His skill with wood was also a way of creating meaningful handcrafted treasures for those he loved. For his nephew Blake’s birthday, he transformed a piece of wood found during a family hike in Yosemite National Park into a special keepsake, carefully sanding it, carving it, and burning Blake’s name and date into the wood. Blake treasures it to this day. For his niece Lola, Tommy designed and built a cradle for her dolls, making the pattern, assembling the pieces, and painting it himself. She also still has it today. He even put his creativity to work for his cats, building them a play structure with a scratching post.

Tommy was preceded in death by his father, Daniel Farrar, his stepfather, Thomas Orovich, and his nephew, Danny Farrar. He is survived by his mother, Ruth Orovich; his sister Lynn Anderton and her husband Bryan Anderton; his brother, Daniel Farrar; his sister Kelly Shirley and her husband Craig Shirley, and sister Jennifer Farrar; his nieces, Shelby Drost, Misty Harrison, Krista Shirley, Amanda Shirley, and Lola Farrar; and his nephew, Blake Anderton.

He will be remembered for his quiet nature, his kindness, his sense of humor and the many ways he cared for the people he loved.