Obituary of Steven Wesley Farner
Steven W. Farner, “Steve” age 70, of Putnam, CT, passed away unexpectedly in Leesburg Florida, after a brief illness, on April 19, 2025, surrounded by his loving family.
He was the beloved husband of Kathy (Glass) Farner, of 50 years. Steve was born on December 22, 1954 in Springville, NY, son of the late Robert and Chloe (Krise) Farner.
Steve, as he was known to all who knew and loved him, was a 1973 graduate of Springville Griffith Institute. While in high school, he especially loved his shop classes and auto mechanic classes doing many oil changes for his teachers. This is also where he met the love of his life, Kathy Glass, a good friend of his sister, Becky.
He was a 1974 graduate of Simmons School of Embalming and Mortuary Science in Syracuse, NY. This was a career he decided on after working at the Maplewood Cemetery in Springville throughout his senior year in high school and the following summer. It was through Kathy‘s mother that he had acquired this job. During that time, he also assisted at the Weismantel Funeral Home in Springville. This was a natural choice because of his love and compassion for people in their time of need.
After his graduation from Simmons, he married his high school sweetheart Kathy Glass, on March 1, 1975 at the Collins Center Methodist Church in Collins Center, NY. Five days later they started their new life in Norwalk, CT, where he worked for the Raymond Funeral Home, and served a two year apprenticeship, becoming a licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer in 1977. In 1979 he was hired to manage the Tillinghast Funeral Home in Danielson, CT. They started their family here and in three years had three sons, Wesley, Andrew and Timothy, the joys of his life. Steve loved his family tremendously and took immense pride in his three sons. He was deeply involved in their lives, whether it was attending concerts helping with the PTA, or other school functions, coaching T-ball and Little League or guiding them through Cub Scouts. He cherished every moment spent cheering them on at soccer, baseball, and football games throughout their school years, always their biggest supporter and strongest encourager. Steve also adored his three puppies, especially his little Dorrie, who brought him endless joy and companionship.
After buying their first house on L’Homme Street Ext., in Danielson, Steve continued his love of working with his hands and tools and soon finished off their basement with a toy room, a family room, an office, a workshop, a sewing/laundry room and also a cake decorating room for Kathy. As his sons say, it was the best place to grow up in our yellow house! Steve loved camping with his family taking yearly family vacations, in the 1980’s, to Western New York, the St. Lawrence Seaway in Upstate New York, with his parents, and to Vermont and New Hampshire many times with his older brother Rob and his family. They also enjoyed camping as a family locally, whenever possible.
Although they loved their home high on the hill overlooking the towns of Danielson and Brooklyn, they decided it was time to move on. In 1991, he purchased the Smith and Walker Funeral Home on Grove Street in Putnam, from Earl W. Gagnon, where he was sole owner. This truly became a family business with all three sons working with him from a young age. Kathy joined him in 1992 where they worked together. Steve worked tirelessly night and day for 17 years rarely taking any time off, until his sons, Andrew and Timothy joined their dad as Funeral Directors in 2008. Together they created the Farner Family Funeral Homes after purchasing the Gagnon and Costello Funeral Home in Danielson, CT in 2009.
Steve was a beloved husband, father, and grandfather. Steve’s love for life was evident in the simple joys he cherished, whether on the road in his RV or tinkering away in his shed. His warmth, humor, and generous spirit will be deeply missed and forever remembered by all who knew him. After tragically losing his parents in 2009, Steve with his wife, Kathy decided it was time to start traveling in their 29 foot Hurricane motorhome. They soon after decided on a 37 foot gasser, a Southwind which Steve loved driving but after a year decided he needed a diesel pusher, a 42 foot Class A Itasca Ellipse, for traveling across country to visit their oldest son Wesley and his family in California, where he works as a Finance Director for Pacific Life, making at least 14 trips. Steve absolutely loved driving his Motorhome and even drove Kathy to many of her cake conventions across the country. For the last four winters, Steve and Kathy spent a few months in Florida, most recently in Webster. They also stayed through a couple hurricanes, Helene and Milton.
Steve was a member of the United Methodist Church in Norwalk, United Methodist Church of Danielson, Congregational Church of Putnam, serving on many committees and as treasurer and also attended High Pointe Church in Thompson. He was a member of the Gideon's Northeast Camp, an Officer of the Putnam Lodge of ELKS, BPOE, #574 and a member of the Putnam Lions Club, serving in many offices and also as President. Steve served for many years on the board of Putnam Baptist Homes and for the last 15 years as President.
Besides his wife, Kathy, he leaves his three loving sons, Wesley Jay Farner and his wife Kate (Rodgers) Farner of Temecula, CA, Andrew Steven Farner and his wife, Christine (Thurlow) Farner of Dayville, CT, Timothy Glass Farner and his wife, Sheena (Morin) Farner of Putnam, the joys of his life, his four beautiful grandchildren, Brooklyn Taryn Farner, Jack Bradley Farner, Kaydence Chloe Farner and Sawyer Jay Farner, his siblings, Becky (Farner) Evans of Marble Falls, TX, Susan (Farner) Keller and her husband, Glenn of Oklahoma City, OK, David Farner and his wife Laura of Pittsburgh, PA, Melissa (Farner) Allen of W. Henrietta, NY, a special Aunt, Joan Krise and many nieces, nephews and cousins. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his brother, Robert G. Farner, Jr. (Barbara Ornce) in 2015.
Calling Hours will be Friday, April 25, 2025 from 4:00 to 7:00 PM, at Smith and Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove Street, Putnam, CT. His Funeral Service will be Saturday, April 26, 2025 at 10:00 AM at the United Methodist Church of Danielson, 9 Spring Street, Danielson, CT. His Graveside Service will be Sunday, April 27, 2025 at 2:00 PM in Maplewood Cemetery, West Main Street, Springville, NY. In lieu of flowers donations may be made in his memory to the United Methodist Church of Danielson, 9 Spring St., Danielson, CT 06239 or the Putnam Little League, PO Box 540, Putnam, CT 06260 or the Killingly Little League, PO Box 627, Dayville, Connecticut 06241. Share a memory at Smithandwalkerfh.com
“The legacy that Steve created lives on because of the young men they created.”