Long-time Knight continues to cook up a good life

Photo courtesy of Andy Airriess

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Chuck Farrell can be found wielding a spatula at Knights of Columbus fundraisers at St. Thomas de Porres Parish, where he has been a member since Mass was held in a funeral home while the church was being built.

TAYLORSVILLE – Chuck Farrell has been a fixture at Saint Martin de Porres Parish since the congregation began in 1982. He’s an altar server at daily Mass, an usher and greeter on Sunday and the cook for the Knights of Columbus fundraisers.

"He will do anything that he believes is important," said Father Jan Bednarz, pastor of Saint Martin de Porres. "He is a very dedicated man."

Farrell, 84, also tithes regularly and contributes to the Diocesan Development Drive and Catholic Community Services, Fr. Bednarz said. "He is a giver and a man of strong faith. If I will send anyone to him with a need, he will help. He is a man always with a smile on his face and a sense of humor. I am glad to see him every morning at Mass."

Farrell was born in New York but moved with his family to Cleveland during the Great Depression. After graduating from Holy Name Catholic High School, he joined the Navy, serving on amphibian landing craft in World War II’s Pacific Theater. He was discharged after his first tour, but rejoined the Navy after a few years as a civilian. During his 27-year military career, he saw quite a bit of the world, including a sail through the Arctic Circle and a visit to Rome, where he met Pope Pius XII in 1949 during a Mediterranean tour.

While in port, a bus trip to Rome was announced. Farrell joined the group. At the Vatican, they were given a tour of the Basilica, then led to a big hall. "We were standing around in a great big circle and the pope went through and shook hands with every one of us," Farrell said, adding that no one knew beforehand that they would be meeting the pope. "That worked out real wonderful."

Upon returning stateside, Farrell put in for shore duty and was assigned to the naval air station in Fallon, Nev. He and a buddy drove from New Hampshire to Nevada, stopping along the way at the Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Salt Lake City. While there, one of the men introduced him to the woman who would later become his wife.

After retiring from the Navy, Farrell and his wife moved to Murray, where he became a member of St. Vincent’s Parish and met Dick Kane, who asked him to join the Knights of Columbus. "He just said, ‘Are you a Knight?,’ and I said, ‘no,’" Farrell said. "And he said, ‘Here’s an application. The meeting’s coming up soon; I’ll talk with you then.’ So I joined the Knights."

Companionship is the best part of being a Knight, Farrell said, "We’re all striving for the same thing: fidelity. And the Knights work well together; we have a lot of fun."

Farrell often volunteers to chair fundraising projects, said Charles Dover, Jr., past state deputy of the Knights of Columbus Utah State. "He’s certainly a great chair person. When he takes on a project he always accomplishes it. He’s never had a failure."

These duties are in addition to the work Farrell has done at the parish, such as running Bingo and waxing the parish hall, Dover said. "You can’t name anything he hasn’t done at the parish level. But he doesn’t ever take credit for anything. He just knows what needs to be done and gets it done and he’s been doing that for years."

When the work is done, Farrell drives home in a car bearing a license plate that reflects his philosophy: EZLIFE.