Celebration of Menlo Park resident Steve Farnworth’s life scheduled for August 11

Editor’s note: The following obituary information was provided to InMenlo by the Farnworth family.

Menlo Park resident Steven Lee Farnworth, 57, passed away unexpectedly on July 27, 2013. Friends and members of the community are invited to attend a celebration of Steve’s life on Sunday, August 11, from 2:00 to 4:00 pm at the Zwierlien Picnic Site at Huddart Park (1100 Kings Mountain Road, Woodside), a place frequented by the Farnworth family.

Steve was born and raised in New York City by his parents, Maria and Ralph (deceased) Farnworth, along with his two younger brothers, Tom and Bruce. After his honorable discharge from the US Navy, Steve moved permanently to California to pursue his interest in electronics and be close to the ocean he so loved.

He met his wife, Suzy Kruse Farnworth, one day when he escaped from work and went shopping at Nordstrom in Southern California. It took Suzy two hours to sell him a rugby shirt — and the rest is history. They married two years later and moved to Northern California.

The happiest days of Steve’s life were the days his children were born. Amy (17), Scott (14) and Sam (14) were the heart and soul of his passion for life. He embraced the role of father in his inimitable, bigger-than-life way. He taught them how to run on the beach at sunrise, boogie board through the surf along the coast, scuba dive in kelp forests, stand up for themselves, and embrace the spirit of curiosity in their learning. There is no greater gift than the gift he gave his children, teaching them how to be individuals with the ability to move through the world with integrity, dignity, compassion, enthusiasm, and love.

There has never been enough time in the day for Steve to do all the things he wanted to. In addition to his work as an entrepreneur and engineer in Silicon Valley, he holds multiple patents, wrote two novels, and was an avid outdoorsman. A Scout Leader for his sons, he taught daughter Amy the wonders of classic literature and movies during their date nights.

He also was an exceptional husband to Suzy for over 23 years. Their story was one that embraced the curveballs of life with a shared commitment to love, honor and cherish one another and their family.

Steve could often be seen walking around the neighborhood with his big dogs beside him and earphones in his ears, as he listened to his eclectic collection of music. His quick wit and contagious laughter made for many happy memories amongst his family and friends. He is survived by his wife and three children, his mother, his two brothers, his in-laws, many sisters and brothers-in-law and 11 nieces and nephews.

At the celebration of his life scheduled for August 11, the family asks that you feel free to bring your favorite memory of Steve to share with the family. This can be in the form of a note, photos, etc. There will be a memory box at the celebration from which a scrapbook will be assembled.

In lieu of flowers, the Farnworth family has requested donations to the Farnworth Children Educational Trust for Amy, Scott and Sam. This account is open at Wells Fargo Bank, Menlo Park branch, on Santa Cruz Avenue.

Photo of Steve Farnworth by Scott R. Kline