Penelope Ann (Coffey) Farris was born in Hamilton, Texas October 22, 1928 and died of stroke complications on Christmas morning, 2016.   Penelope was called “Penny” throughout life. Her father Frederic A. Coffey was a high school principal, and mother Verna Cox Coffey taught music & was an accomplished Pianist.  Her family lived in many places while her father worked on his Doctorate, and then worked as a respected Agricultural Economist with the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture as his final career. These places included New Mexico, Ithaca, N.Y., Denver, CO., Asuncion, Paraguay and Denton, TX.  A precocious student, she skipped two grades and graduated Denton High School at age 15!  Her love for the flute began when she was in grade school and continued through life as she majored in flute and music education at North Texas State College in Denton. Earlier she played flute in the Asuncion Symphony Orchestra in Paraguay while learning Spanish.  Penny stayed active in student government and became a senator in college government.  In Paraguay with family, her father, an agricultural economist, directed an agricultural census.  Penny tutored the three children of American ambassador Willard Beaulac. Beaulac was later assigned to Bogota, Columbia and asked for Penny to continue tutoring there.  However, a revolution had just occurred with 10,000 dead, so Penny’s father told her to stay home.  She graduated from North Texas State (now University of North Texas) in 1950 and married Army WWII veteran and accomplished reed player John A. Farris, who was finishing his MA in music from NTSC. 
 
John’s first job as high school band director was in Alice, Texas, where Penny also taught flute and music education. Both enjoyed playing with the nearby Corpus Christi Symphony.  A few years later Penny and John, son John Jr. and daughter Lynn, relocated to Fairfax County, Virginia with home in Springfield where their 3rd child Yvette was born. As Penny continued teaching flute and
music education, she was disturbed at the lack of classical music opportunities for Fairfax citizens.  She conspired with music specialist Dorothy Fueur and founded the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra, now an organization of national repute.  Penny played flute and John the clarinet with the orchestra for decades.   John as band director of Annandale High School had arranged for the embryonic orchestra to practice in the Band Hall.  Later in honor of Fueur’s passing, Penny developed the Dorothy Fueur Strings Competition to encourage student musicians to continue developing their skills.  Penny also founded the Northern Virginia Youth Symphony.  
 
Honored as Distinguished Alumni by the University of North Texas in 1999, Penny and husband John continued their skills in the music arts.  On September 19, 2006 the Fairfax County Public School System dedicated and “re-named” their Fine Arts Library to the John and Penny Farris Fine Arts Library to honor their 100 years of “combined service” in the Fairfax County Schools and music development in the community. At their church in the early years they directed the adult, youth, and children’s choirs, and themselves sang in the choir for over 55 years. Penny also presided as an elder in the church for several years, and chaired several mission and outreach committees. Their service and devotion to improving the human situation and helping many individuals reflected their faith in Jesus Christ and His teachings, and their beloved First Christian Church of Falls Church, VA.

Due to Penny’s passion for History, she often enjoyed “tour-guiding” her family and friends to the D.C. historical museums and attractions. In addition, she made a point to travel every summer w/ her family of 5 throughout the USA, Canada and Mexico. Jay, Lynn and Yvette greatly appreciated this exposure to travel and culture, including frequent trips to Texas visiting beloved family on both sides. In later years John and Penny also jaunted to many nations, including Europe, South America, Thailand, Fiji, Australia, the Caribbean, and Israel.

As loving grandparents they took their 4 grandkids on many educational and cultural fun outings and excursions, making treasured memories for them all. For the last 3 decades she and family spent almost every Christmas, and a week in the summer on the Outer Banks of NC where their daughter Lynn & family lives. As the grandkids grew, married and moved away, they blessed Penny and John with six adorable great-grandchildren… with many more to come. Penny and John have a beautiful legacy of kids and grandkids that have inherited her love of the Lord, and strive to follow her dedication to faith and seeking in him.

Penny, a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, godly woman and friend, will always be remembered as one of the kindest, most gracious, talented and motivated people you will ever meet. Her love of God, people, music, and Life has impacted all who knew her. She will be greatly missed…yet her loving ways and accomplishments are treasured and will live on.
 

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