William “Bill” Lon Farris

William “Bill” Lon Farris passed away peacefully surrounded by his family due to complications from bladder cancer in New York City on Jan. 19, 2024.  

Bill was born on July 31, 1951 and baptized in the First Methodist Church of Daisetta, Texas. He is a graduate of Hull-Daisetta High School, the University of Chicago, and the University of Texas School of Law. 
Bill settled in New York in 1978. He practiced law at Sullivan & Cromwell until his retirement in 2014. The practice of law suited his lifelong pursuit of history and literature. He could engage intensely on almost any subject and was famous among family and friends for his walking tours of the city. 
There was joy in his impromptu description of architecture and local legend around seemingly every corner. He took great pride in his daughters and relished speaking of their accomplishments. He had a laugh no one will ever forget. 
He met his future wife, Carol Mahakian, soon after he arrived in New York. They married in 1984. Bill and Carol embraced the city and all that it offered — they couldn’t imagine why one would live anywhere else. 
Bill is survived by his loving wife Carol, daughters Margaret and Penelope, brothers Mark (Terry) and Tom (Bernadette), brother-in-law John Geudry, and countless loving friends, nieces, nephews, and cousins who will miss being regaled by his humor and stories. He was preceded in death by his parents 
Robert Quentin and Kathleen Ruth Kelling, and sisters Elizabeth Ann and Nancy Jane. 
A requiem mass will be celebrated at 2 p.m. on Feb. 24 at Saint Ignatius of Antioch Episcopal Church in New York City where he served faithfully on the Vestry and as Treasurer. The church community was important to his deep faith and love of the Bible.