Edward Patrick Farrell

Edward Patrick Farrell, 67, of Boca Raton, Florida passed away unexpectedly and surrounded by his family and friends on August 16th, 2025.  Edward, or more affectionately known as “Prayer Warrior, Eddie Farrell,” was born on June 1st, 1958 in Brooklyn, New York to Edward Alexander Farrell and Helene Martha Farrell, both of Brooklyn.  Eddie was the eldest son of a large Irish-American Catholic family.  Eddie was the heart of the Farrell Family!

In 1959, the Farrell Family moved from Brooklyn to Uniondale, Long Island, New York to accommodate their growing family.  Eddie thrived in Uniondale!  He became an accomplished athlete, scholar, altar boy, musician, and great big brother! 

Eddie’s Dad took him to his first New York Mets baseball game on June 1st, 1964 as a present for his 5th birthday.  The game was a 23-inning marathon that lasted seven and a half hours.  Eddie returned home with his Dad as a 6 year old!....and his passion for the Mets was ignited!  He fell in love with the New York sports teams.  He was a diehard fan of the Mets, Jets, Rangers, Knicks and “whoever was playing the Yankees!”   

Eddie loved sports…playing, watching, coaching.  He was a standout Little League baseball pitcher, stickball player, street hockey goalie, swimmer, could throw a perfect football spiral and had a great basketball jump shot!  He loved rooting for his favorite Met, Tom Seaver, and his favorite Jet, Joe Namath.  He would ride his bike to Hofstra University to watch Jets’ training camp to see his hero, Joe Namath, in action! 

God blessed Eddie with a beautiful musical talent.  God gifted Eddie with “Perfect Pitch” which is the extremely rare ability to identify a note without a reference tone.  As a Kindergartner the school audiologist conducted a routine hearing test for the class and asked Eddie if he could hear the tone and Eddie responded:  “Yes, that is a B Flat!”  This talent allowed him to be a professional musician that could play “by ear.”  If he heard a song once, he could play it!  He was an accomplished piano, accordion, and banjo player – any instrument he touched, he would learn how to play beautifully!  Music was a huge part of the Farrell Family with sing-alongs and Eddie providing the music.  Eddie used music to connect with people, share his faith, and teach.   

Eddie’s Catholic Faith was formed by his loving parents and reinforced as an altar boy at Saint Martha’s Catholic Church in Uniondale.  He was a devout Catholic that spread the word of the Lord from a young age. 

In 1970, the Farrell Family moved to Boca Raton, Florida for his Dad’s career promotion.  Eddie embraced living in Florida, but kept rooting for his New York sports teams.  His devotion to his Catholic faith grew and would often spend weekends at charity and religious formation events. 

Eddie was the hardest worker and always made his mom and dad so proud!  He worked his way through high school as a Publix grocery store bag boy, developing a large following of regular customers who would only have Eddie bag their groceries and load their cars.  Eddie excelled at Boca Raton High School, graduating in 1976.

After high school, Eddie answered a calling to discern a vocation to the priesthood.  He entered the Seminary to become a Catholic Priest and prayed for God’s direction.  God called him to be a dedicated lay member of the church and teacher.  He became actively involved in the Knights of Columbus and a devout parishioner.    

Following God’s calling to teach children, Eddie pursued a degree in Education and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Florida Atlantic University in 1982.  He immediately started teaching in the Palm Beach County Public School System.  He taught at every level, from kindergarten through high school.  He especially enjoyed teaching English as a Second Language to first generation Americans.  He inspired his students to learn, embrace the American Culture, and be kind and responsible citizens.  His special talent was connecting with students who required more assistance.  He would go to the homes of the neediest children and tutor them at no cost until they understood the concepts.  He loved seeing his former students graduate from college!       

Eddie coached Little League Baseball and Catholic Youth Organization Basketball.  Realizing Eddie’s leadership ability and passion for youth baseball, he was selected to be the Little League Baseball Commissioner.  Eddie focused on sportsmanship and taught valuable life lessons.  Eddie epitomized “hard work paying off….on and off the field.”  Coach Farrell inspired everyone!   

Eddie truly embodied the Bible verse found in Matthew 5:16:  “Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.”  His relationship with “The Big Guy Upstairs” was the most important thing to him, and his light naturally shined so bright.

Eddie inspired and prayed for so many Seminarians and helped them on their faith formation.  He religiously attended Catholic Mass with the Seminarians providing counsel and a great perspective on life. 

Eddie was a long-time parishioner of St. Bernard Catholic Church in Sunrise, Florida, where he met the love of his life - his wife, Mary Rose.  They were part of a large friend group that would meet for service, spiritual, and social activities.  Eddie and Mary Rose were later married on November 28th, 1998.

After an extremely successful teaching career in the Palm Beach County School System, Eddie focused on his Spiritual Growth and spreading the word of the Lord!  Eddie was the Spiritual Leader of the Catholic Young Singles Group and the Spiritual Leader of the next generation of Catholics.  He became a Confirmation teacher, where he touched the hearts, minds, and lives of countless students. He adopted each of them as his niece and nephew, and they adopted him as “Uncle Eddie.”

He prayed for everyone he met, and after immediately finding out their particular circumstances he added them to a long prayer list.  He affectionately developed nicknames to keep track of all the members of his ever-growing prayer list. 

In 2024, Eddie rose to the highest rank of the Knights of Columbus and became a Fourth Degree Knight in an Exemplification of Fourth Degree ceremony.  The Fourth Degree is specifically designed for selected members of the Knights of Columbus that live out their Patriotism.  Eddie earned the title of “Sir Knight” for achieving this lofty position. 

Eddie was absolutely loved by his family, and his family loved him dearly!  He would find a special and unique ways to connect with his wife, parents, brothers, sisters, nieces, and nephews that allowed him to show his love for them, inspire them, and make them better Christians.

To know Eddie was to love Eddie.  He was loved by so many, and was a spiritual role model to us all. Eddie’s greatest legacy was how he constantly shared his love for Jesus Christ (“JC”), the Holy Spirit (“HS”), and the Blessed Mother.  He was an angel on earth to his family and friends, and while he will be so missed, we are certain he is celebrating and praying for us in heaven.

Eddie was predeceased by his mother, Helene Martha Farrell in May of this year (2025), his father, Edward Alexander Farrell in 2012, his brothers, Henry Joseph Farrell in 2012 and Robert Michael Farrell in 1970.  Eddie is survived by his loving wife, Mary Rose Farrell, his sisters Anne Helene Markoe (Richard), Margaret Elizabeth Longazel (Dennis), and Noreen Helen Kelly (David), and brother Dennis Lawrence Farrell (Elizabeth); as well as his dozens of cherished nieces and nephews. 

Eddie obediently accepted the plan God had for his life.  He overcame many obstacles and prayed his way through the suffering, offering it for the salvation of others.  He kept the faith, finished the race and is celebrating now in Heaven with everyone he helped get there.  Well Done, Good and Faithful Servant!

"Keep the Faith"

A visitation will be held from 2 to 4 PM and 6 to 8 PM on Friday, August 29th, 2025, at Glick Family Funeral Home in Boca Raton, where a Wake Service will begin at 7 PM.  A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at Noon on Saturday, August 30th, 2025, at Saint Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic Church in Pompano Beach, FL.  Burial will follow at the Boca Raton Cemetery. 

Donations may be made to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church, 560 North 6th Street, Bangor, PA 18013 to the Elevator Fun in loving memory of Eddie Farrell. Donations can be mailed, or submitted online at http://olmcroseto.org, with a note in the comments section for “elevator fund”.  

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Edward Patrick Farrell, please visit our floral store.