Loren Wright Farnsworth

Loren Wright Farnsworth, 83, of Yukon, Oklahoma, completed his Earthly test and was called home by his Heavenly Father on Tuesday, August 24th, 2021. He leaves behind Peggy Farnsworth, his wife of 60 years, his two sons, Keith and Scott, and his grandsons, Reece, Stephan, Connor, Parker and Noah. In death, he has now rejoined his father Leslie, his dear mother Myrtle, his two brothers, Everett and Keith, and his two sisters Rhea and Bernice.

Loren's life is a story of love for others and an example of embracing life through the pursuit of passions.

Loren was the youngest of 5 children, born to Leslie and Myrtle Farnsworth in Preston, Idaho on July 15th, 1938. The catalyst for Loren's love of country and passion for flying happened early in his childhood when he lost his older brothers, both pilots, in WWII only days apart.

As a youth, he enjoyed sports and roller skating, being a strong competitor in both barrel jumping and high school football. Following the death of his mother when he was 12, his father went on a mission and Loren spent time in the homes of many extended family throughout Utah and Idaho. As soon as he could, he joined the Navy and became a radioman, serving aboard a destroyer in the Pacific.

Loren met the love of his life, Peggy Dickens, when he was 21. After two years of dating they were married and remained devoted companions for 60 years. Following their wedding, Loren worked a wide array of jobs while completing an Applied Science degree at Berkeley. Those jobs ranged from a typewriter repairman to Atomic Accelerator Operator at Berkeley's Atomic Collider.

Following college, Loren began his lifetime passion and career: flying. He started with his private pilot's license, became a flight instructor, then worked his way up to become the president of his flying club. He chased his dream and joined the FAA as an air traffic controller, moved into Flight Safety, flying LearJets, Cessna Citations, King Airs, and any other plane he had the opportunity to pilot while he assisted in the creation of the FAA's Jet Division. In his decades-long aeronautical career, he was honored to work with the Air Force's Thunderbirds and the Navy's Blue Angels, governing air shows for California and Nevada. He was one of few pilots to fly the GoodYear Blimp, and was invited to pilot John Denver's jet. After retirement, he was engaged by multiple organizations and worked both in the United States and abroad as a flight safety consultant and trainer - helping to establish the equivalent of the FAA's Flight Safety program in foreign countries.

Outside of flying, Loren had many other passions and accomplishments including music of all forms. As a young man, he played drums for a televised band and added to his talents through learning the piano and guitar. He greatly enjoyed singing and joined the OK Chorale, a large barbershop chorus, and several additional quartets. His chorus was honored on the national stage, and his quartets were invited to perform at several engagements and brought joy to audiences in both Oklahoma and Texas. Loren translated this passion into a devotion for his Heavenly Father, leading choruses and congregations in musical devotions at his church throughout the remainder of his life.

Loren enjoyed art, and began painting as a young father. As with all of his talents, he focused on perfecting his skill and was commissioned by several organizations and individuals to paint portraits, landscapes, Western scenes, and seascapes. Many of his works adorn the rooms of friends, family, and businesses including one on display in the Cowboy Hall of Fame. He transitioned into sculpting and jewelry and created custom pieces through his jewelry business including the wedding rings of his son and daughter-in-law.

Like his other talents, Loren not only excelled at woodworking, he became a perfectionist. From building show-quality furniture even before his children were born that adorned his home for 50+ years to the simple pen and pencil sets, he took meticulous care to construct for friends and customers. He found a deep appreciation in the beauty of various species and grains of wood: anyone who visited his home was dragged to admire the 50,000 year old slab that stood taller than him, and listened to the obligatory description of its origin. Ironically, he felt it was just too beautiful to cut; it still stands as a huge wall decoration in their family room.

As his sons grew, Loren participated in his church's Young Men's program and with the Boy Scouts of America. For many years, he spent hours helping boys, including his sons, develop their skills and promote a drive that would enable them to become honorable young men. Like all his passions, he threw his whole heart into Scouting - working with youth on the local level and the Boy Scout leadership on a state level. The district and national leaders of the Boy Scouts of America recognized his contributions by awarding him the Silver Beaver, one of the highest awards available to adult scouting leaders.

Throughout his life, Loren spent his time in selfless dedication and service to others. His free time and skills were constantly spent in assisting others in need, often at the sacrifice of time with his family. He contributed his time to help others fix cars, weld, build and renovate homes, fix electrical and plumbing issues, landscape yards, assist with those in need of medical attention, and many other things. If he knew someone had a need, he was always willing to volunteer.

Loren's love for his Savior and Heavenly Father was manifested in his love for Temple Work. His desire to serve in the temple was realized upon the dedication of the Oklahoma City Temple, and he began serving as soon as possible, working multiple shifts every week. Following in his father's footsteps, he served in every role possible except in the Temple Presidency and a Sealer. This passion brought him the greatest joy outside of his family.

Central to Loren's life was his love for his family. He shared this love and excitement for life with his wife, and served as an excellent example for his two sons. His passions and talents were never more on-display than they were within the walls of his own home: playing the piano and singing for Family Home Evening and Christmas holidays, calling every relative to sing happy birthday each year, drawing and painting works of art for the home, helping his sons work on their first cars as teenagers, volunteering his time to help them build and renovate their homes, taking his wife on business trips and vacations throughout the US and in foreign countries to see sights, try new foods, and experience things that few get to see, teaching his children how to fly and letting them accompany him on his aeronautical adventures, being a leader in Boy Scouts and going on countless camp-outs and high adventures with them, and being ever-present to teach and instill a love for God, family and country and always offering to serve others. His love for his family was evident every day, in every action. Through those actions and that love, he exemplified a life filled with charity and service for everyone around him, and demonstrated a childlike excitement for life that serves as an example for all.

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