Don Farrington

By Jacob Klopfenstein
jklopfenstein@kpcmedia.com
ASHLEY — Last November, after Don Farrington had been diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer, his friend, Jim Carper, surprised him by taking him on an impromptu fishing trip to Fort Myers, Florida.
To fish in the ocean was a bucket-list item for Mr. Farrington, who was an avid angler, Carper said.
On one outing on the trip, Mr. Farrington kept an 80-pound manta ray on his line for more than two hours, his daughter, Nicole Farrington, said. He eventually corralled the giant fish before releasing it back to the ocean, Carper said.
"As weak as he was, he held on to that thing," Nicole said. "He said it was the trip of a lifetime."
Mr. Farrington died Jan. 31, one day after his 74th birthday. A lifelong resident of northeast Indiana, he was born in Corunna and graduated from Ashley High School in 1960. He studied at Tri-State College in Angola, graduating in 1964. He married his wife, LaDonna, in Ashley on Aug. 28, 1966.
He became heavily involved in the town of Ashley over the years. He served as town marshal for nine years and was in the fire department for 19 years. He served on the town council and he was town superintendent for seven years.
The manta ray in Florida wasn't the only thing Mr. Farrington wouldn't give up on. Throughout his life, Mr. Farrington was stubborn, his family members and colleagues said.
"If Don was adamant about something, he was like a bulldog on it," fellow Ashley Town Councilman Mike Hasselman said.
LaDonna Farrington said her husband was set in his ways and always liked to have the last word. Once Mr. Farrington set his mind to something, there was no going back, added his daughter, Lynette Farrington.
That dogged determination paid off for the town of Ashley. Mr. Farrington worked hard to get things put in place on the industrial side of the town, Hasselman said. More than 250 acres on the south side of Ashley have been set aside for industrial development.
To thank Mr. Farrington for his work on the project, town leaders renamed a street in his honor.
The extension of C.R. 4 between South Gonser Street and H.L. Thompson Drive, formerly known as Industrial Drive, now is called Farrington Drive. Crews replaced street signs along the stretch during a ceremony in December as Mr. Farrington watched along with colleagues, family and friends.
Mr. Farrington's dedication to the town of Ashley accompanied his passion for fishing. His favorite pastime was fishing for bluegill on Steuben County's Golden Lake, his favorite fishing spot.
"That was his way of getting away from everything," LaDonna Farrington said.
Lynette and Nicole would go fishing every year with their dad on Father's Day, they said. Fishing was a way for Mr. Farrington to be peaceful and forget about the hustle and bustle of the world for a while, Lynette said.
Mr. Farrington also loved to read. When he and his wife would take winter trips to Florida, he would read lots of books, Nicole Farrington said. He loved murder mysteries and Christian books such as the "Left Behind" series.
Mr. Farrington also was a 50-year member and 10-time master of the Ashley Masonic Lodge 614 F&AM. Some of his closest friends also were members, Lynette Farrington said. Her father helped recruit new members, supported fundraising projects and worked at the lodge's truck when it was stationed at the DeKalb County Free Fall Fair, she said.
Carper said Mr. Farrington always pushed people to improve and get better at what they were doing.
"He was a good inspiration man to get people to think outside of the box and be creative," Carper said.
LaDonna Farrington said her husband helped get more people involved in Ashley town happenings. He mentored several younger people and got them involved so things would still go on in the town, she said. Mr. Farrington formed many friendships with employees of the town, she added.
"He just wanted to get the small town of Ashley on the map," LaDonna said. "He wanted the little town to flourish."