Friends, relatives remember slain teacher

HARLINGEN - John Farr grew up in Collinsville, a town north of Dallas, and was always a loving and entertaining person, said a woman who identified herself as Farr's aunt from his hometown.

The woman, who declined to give her name, said Farr spent a lot of time at her home in Collinsville during his childhood.

"He grew up with my children and they are all very close - the younger ones," the woman said in a telephone interview. "Two of my boys are pretty close to his age. He was in our house a lot. He was a lovely, loving person then."

Farr, 49, a speech, drama and theater teacher at Harlingen High School South, was found dead in his apartment at Oak Terrace Apartments on Monday evening.

A teenage boy who has been charged with capital murder in his death is being held at the Darrell B. Hester Juvenile Detention Center in San Benito.

The woman said Farr was always an entertaining person and was involved in numerous extracurricular activities when he was in high school.

"He loved everybody and everybody loved him," she said. "He was just a fine upstanding person. He loved his work, he loved the children he taught. He was very giving to them and very sharing with other people."

His aunt said her nephew will be missed by many.

"It was really a waste because he could have done a lot more good had he been given the opportunity," she said.

After graduating from Collinsville High School, Farr attended Texas Tech University, according to his obituary.

Farr began teaching in 1982 and taught at schools in Cameron and Hidalgo counties.

Paulette Gindler-Bishop worked with Farr about two decades ago when he taught drama classes and she taught German at McAllen High School.

Gindler-Bishop remembered Farr as a compassionate person who rescued a kitten from a group of students who were throwing it back and forth. He also had a sense of humor and was quick on his feet in making jokes.

"His laugh, you could hear him down the hall when he was laughing," said Gindler-Bishop, who now teaches English as a second language at McAllen High School.

Farr was well respected by his peers and students and he was known for helping students reach their full potential in school, she said.

She said she was shocked to learn of her former co-worker's death.

"It's so sad," Gindler-Bishop said.

A memorial gathering for Farr will be held at the Harlingen Performing Arts Theater Monday at 7 p.m.

Visitation services for Farr will be held today at 7 p.m. at the Meadow Funeral Home, 401 Highway 377 North in Whitesboro, north of Collinsville.

A service will be held Saturday at 10 a.m. at the same location.

Farr will be laid to rest at the Collinsville Cemetery in Collinsville.