In Memory of David Warren Farrington (October 5, 1940 – June 19, 2026)
We offer our condolences to the family and colleagues of the Rev. David Warren Farrington, who died on June 19, 2026, at the age of 85.
David was born on October 5, 1940, in Milford, Massachusetts, to Dorsie Dowden Farrington and Warren Ross Farrington. Raised in the nearby communities of Medfield and Medway, he grew up in the Episcopal Church, where he was active in Sunday School. During his early adolescence, however, he became a non-believer. He graduated from Medway High School in 1958 and, at the age of seventeen, enlisted in the United States Navy. He trained as an Aviation Electronics Technician and was stationed in Oklahoma.
After his Navy discharge, David returned to Massachusetts, worked as an electronics and quality control technician, and attended the First Parish Unitarian Universalist in Medfield. In 1961, he joined the congregation and became an active member, serving on the Religious Education Committee, later chairing it, and teaching a class of energetic four-year-olds. During this period, he pursued higher education and earned his Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Boston University in 1968. David then joined the Massachusetts Department of Correction (DOC), where he helped develop innovative pre-release programs for incarcerated individuals. Working with community partners, he contributed to efforts that led to the Massachusetts Correction Reform Act of 1972 (MGL Chap. 777), which established pre-release centers and expanded opportunities for work release, educational release, and furlough programs for individuals within eighteen months of parole eligibility. His commitment to prison reform and restorative justice ultimately inspired him to pursue ordained ministry.
While discerning his call, David remained actively involved in Unitarian Universalism. In 1982, he joined the Unitarian Society of Fairhaven, Massachusetts, where he provided pulpit supply, actively participated in the Adult Discussion Group, and remained engaged in congregational life. During this period, he also transitioned into the corporate world, working as an organizational development, management, and sales consultant. In 1992, he entered Andover Newton Theological School and earned his Master of Divinity in 1999.
The Rev. Farrington was ordained on May 2, 2004, by the UU Church of Norwich, Connecticut. In 2003, he accepted a call to serve the First Church Unitarian in Athol, Massachusetts, until 2005. He then served the UU Church of Brunswick, Maine, from 2005 to 2006, helping the congregation engage underlying conflict through healing, dialogue, and reconciliation.
From 2006 to 2008, he served as an acting minister of the UU Church of Corpus Christi, Texas. There, he worked to streamline the efforts of lay committees through the GOTS model (Goals, Objectives, Tasks, & Standards). He strengthened the congregation’s Leadership Council (Board Vice President and committee chairs) to take responsibility for tactical planning, management, and event scheduling, allowing the Board of Trustees to focus on broader strategic matters, policy decisions, and long-range goals. He next served as consulting minister of the UU Fellowship of Pottstown, Pennsylvania, from 2008 to 2009, and then as its settled minister from 2009 until his retirement in 2015. Throughout his ministry, the Rev. Farrington was known for thoughtfully incorporating poetry into his worship services, enriching the worship experience and inviting deeper reflection.
In addition to his congregational ministry, the Rev. Farrington was an active leader within the wider denomination. He served on the Nominating Committee of the Clara Barton Chapter of the Unitarian Universalist Ministers’ Association and was active in the Ballou Channing District, serving as Director of its Chalice Lighters program (1995–1997), and as a member of the Committee on Appraisal and Recommendations. He served as a consultant on congregational growth for the First Unitarian Church in New Bedford, Massachusetts, and as a panelist at the First Parish Unitarian Church in Kingston, Massachusetts, where he spoke on the challenges and opportunities of congregational growth.
David’s commitment extended to the community as well. While in Massachusetts, he was an active member of the North Quabbin Citizen Advocacy group, advocating for people with mental health issues and a variety of other social issues. He was active in the local clergy association and volunteered as a chaplain at the Franklin County Medical Center. In Connecticut, he headed a task force that provided after-hours Protestant Chaplaincy at a local hospital and collaborated with the city leaders and local congregations to provide meals and emergency shelter for people experiencing homelessness. Furthermore, he was a member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Interfaith Alliance, the National Federation of the Blind, and a life member of the American Radio League. He was also a member of the Franklin County Amateur Radio Club and the New England Historical and Genealogical Society.
In his leisure time, he enjoyed radio-controlled aircraft modeling, kite flying, and genealogical research. He was an avid reader with deep appreciation for poetry and the theater, and he treasured the company of good friends.
David’s daughter Carolyn shared: “My father loved me and provided for me in every conceivable way. He made me into a strong, independent, educated, and confident woman. Everything that I am, I have him to thank for it.”
David is survived by his first wife, Barbara Roberts (Hanson); his daughter, Carolyn Farrington; his older sister, Joyce Hofstra; and his nephews, John Hofstra, Mark Paine Hofstra and family, and Mark Stuart Hofstra and family. He was widowed from his best friend, Carole Ciccone.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, August 22, 2026, at the Shirley Meetinghouse, 41 Brown Rd, Shirley, MA 01464. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to a charity of one’s own choosing. Notes of condolence may be shared here.