Albert Sydney Farr, Bunkie businessman

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered for Albert Sydney "Syd" Farr, Jr. on Friday, December 18, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church with Rev. Stephen Scott Chemino, V.G. officiating. Burial with Military Honors will follow in Pythian Cemetery under the direction of Melancon Funeral Home, Bunkie.
The family requests that visitation be observed at Melancon Funeral Home on Thursday, December 17, 2020 from 4:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. and resume on Friday, December 18, 2020 frpm8:30 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.
Mr. Farr, age 84, of Bunkie, passed away on Tuesday morning, December 15, 2020 at his residence. Syd earned his rank as an Eagle Scout and graduated Bolton High School in 1954. He attended Tulane on a baseball scholarship as a catcher and 3rd baseman, and during his time there, his harmonica skills landed him a regular spot playing late night gigs at Pat O’Brien's in New Orleans. He was paid in beer and food, a college student's dream, but probably also the reason why his parents transferred him to Northwestern State University. His sports career continued through adult Softball and Baseball teams throughout the region. He served his country by earning the rank of Sergeant First Class in the Army Reserves for 17 years. In 1958, his parents asked him and his family to move to Bunkie to take over management of the NAPA family stores in Bunkie, Simmesport, and Marksville. Once his family was established in Bunkie, his portfolio of service began to grow exponentially. He joined the Bunkie Rotary Club and since then, only until recently for health reasons, he has not missed a single Rotary meeting since 1959. He was a Bunkie Rotarian for sixty-one years and was the 52nd Citizen of the Year in 2017.
Coach Frank Foreman asked him to film the Bunkie High School football games. For 32 years he filmed football games for BHS under Coaches Foreman, Britton, Armand, and others. This was a job requiring him to climb to great heights to film the entire field. Once, he was nearly left on the top of a pole for the night, because no one noticed he was still up there when they walked off with his ladder.
He and his sons have been operating their family business, Farr Auto Supply, while servicing the families and farmers of Bunkie, day and night for over 60 years. His only off time has been when he attends an LSU game, and his sons watch over the operations and late night phone calls. When he isn’t working at Farr Auto, he’s working in his community through Rotary or lining up the Christmas Parades year after year, or playing his harmonica for the residents of Bailey Place Assisted Living or Bayou Vista Manor, which he did for ten years. His life has not only been centered around his family, but in service to the community around him. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Marsha Farr; his parents, Christina and Albert Sydney Farr, Sr. and his sister, Patricia Ponthie.
He is survived by his wife, Alice "Toni" Farr of Bunkie; his three sons, Sydney Lee Farr of Bunkie, Christopher "Chris" Farr of Baton Rouge and Robin Farr and his wife, Michelle, of Bunkie; his brother, Doug Farr and wife, Billie, of Lake Charles; his two step-daughters, Robin Bonnette and husband, Michael, of Baton Rouge and Alyce Oliver and husband, Jason, of Arnaudville; his step-son, Andrew Arnaud of Lemoyen and his grandchildren, T.J. Farr, Peyton Bonnette, Grant Bonnette, Max Bonnette, Anna Catherine Oliver, Reid Oliver, Kamryn "Kamie" Arnaud and Annie Arnaud.