Alan Spencer Farr

Alan Spencer Farr was born on September 30, 1941, in Los Angeles, California, to Spencer Farr and Thalis Jackson Farr. He enjoyed an idyllic childhood in Westchester, California spending the 1940s and ’50s playing sports, building forts in the family’s expansive backyard, spending summers at their cabin in Utah, and going on duck and quail hunting trips with his father and siblings—for which he was known to be a crack shot.

Alan graduated from Westchester High School in 1959 and went on to attend BYU and UCLA, ultimately earning an MBA. He married young and welcomed two children, Jim and Alison.

He treasured time with his family and was very involved in his son’s activities, coaching Little League and joining camping trips with the Scouts. Alan’s brothers often recalled how dependable and generous he was, stepping in to help care for their children when needed.

Alan worked for his father and uncle at Farr Company throughout his schooling and while raising his children. After his children were grown and following a divorce, he chose to begin a new chapter—moving to Salt Lake City, where his brother Jerry lived. There he embarked on a career in building, a calling he had felt since childhood.

From his earliest days building forts—playing in them, tearing them down, and rebuilding them—Alan knew he was meant to be a contractor. His proudest and most beautiful fort was the cabin he built at Holiday Park. Always generous with his skills, he helped both of his children with home projects and remodels, and was known among his Holiday Park neighbors as someone they could always count on for assistance. He loved teaching his grandchildren how to build and eagerly involved them in projects at the cabin whenever he could. 

In 1983, while on a river-rafting trip down the Colorado River with his daughter, Alan met Carol Kandt Peterson. After moving to Salt Lake in 1984, he reconnected with Carol—the love of his life and his soulmate—and together they built a partnership that lasted 40 years. They cherished summers at their cabin with their close community of friends at Holiday Park and enjoyed volunteering together at their church.

Alan passed away on December 10, 2025 after his health declined following a fall he took several months earlier. He is survived by his wife, Carol Kandt Farr; his son, James Farr (Mary Ann); his daughter, Alison Farr Hoover (Mark); his grandchildren, Evan Brisker, Alex Brisker, Kaitlyn Farr, Jack Farr, Sasha Sofonia, Samantha Sofonia, Brayden Sofonia, Brody Sofonia, and Brady Sofonia; his brothers, David Farr and Gerald Farr; step-sons Steve Sofonia and Bryan Sofonia.  He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Teresa Farr Fistere, and step-son, Scott Sofonia.

A memorial celebration will be held on Friday, January 23, 2026, from 6–8 p.m. at Starks Funeral Parlor, 3651 South 900 East, Salt Lake City, Utah. In lieu of flowers, please hug someone you love. Or just someone who needs one!