Robert Farrell, Grumman retiree who traced Civil War veterans with Long Island ties, dies at 90
Robert Farrell in 2023 at his Huntington home office, where he researched Civil War veterans with ties to Long Island. Credit: Linda Rosier
Robert Farrell traced the whereabouts of thousands of Civil War veterans with ties to Long Island after he retired from almost 30 years of work at the Grumman Aerospace Corp.
Farrell, a resident of Huntington, died on Dec. 21. of a heart-related condition at a hospital, according to relatives and a family obituary. He was 90.
Farrell is remembered as a giving and principled man with varied interests, the family said. He was a veteran, dedicated father, mentor and methodical researcher who could piece together disparate information to help keep the memories of veterans alive.
"He always loved to learn, and he always loved to share his knowledge with other people," said his daughter, Kathi Campbell, of Cranford, New Jersey. "He was always willing to talk to people, tell them stories."
Born in 1934 in Brooklyn, Farrell graduated from Most Holy Trinity High School in 1952, relatives said. He was part of the military between 1955 and 1957, serving as an Army private first class.
He earned a bachelor degree in business administration in 1960, relatives said in the obituary. He also received a master's in business administration in 1967 from Long Island University Post.
In 1961, he married Barbara, a native of Huntington. In addition to his wife and daughter, Farrell is survived by sons Thomas Farrell, of Merrick, and Christopher Farrell, of East Northport.
Campbell said her father was devoted to his family. He coached his sons’ soccer teams and often took her to New York Islanders games.
In his career at Grumman, Farrell took part in projects that included development of planes and a NASA lunar module, according to the family obituary.
After he retired, he was able to delve deeper into his love of history. Farrell explored his family’s genealogy. He was a member of the North Shore Civil War Roundtable and the Huntington Historical Society, the family said. He also was a Cradle of Aviation volunteer for 20 years.
Eventually, he decided to tie his war history and genealogy interests together in a project, researching Civil War veterans who lived in Babylon or Huntington, Newsday reported. The effort expanded to include more than 6,000 people with Long Island connections.
"I’m interested in the people who did the fighting and what they gave to society," he told Newsday in a 2024 profile. "I want to honor the ordinary soldier because I was one myself."
Susan Jaycox, president of the Genealogy Federation of Long Island, who worked on the initial phases of Farrell’s project, said compiling the names was difficult.
Many cemeteries didn’t know who was buried on the premises. Then, she said, someone would have to wander through the gravesites to find headstones — some of which were vandalized or in disrepair.
But both deemed the work necessary: "We both felt that … people should be remembered."
Joel Friedman, a volunteer docent at the Cradle of Aviation Museum and Farrell’s friend, said one of Farrell’s proudest accomplishments was identifying the graves of veterans.
As a friend and fellow volunteer, Farrell was a man of warmth and an excellent communicator who captivated young and old with interesting stories, said Friedman, of Great Neck.
"Bob is the person that we want to be able to use as a role model in our own lives," Friedman said.
Farrell is survived by his wife, Barbara; three children; four grandchildren; and a great-granddaughter.
After a Mass at St. Hugh of Lincoln Roman Catholic Church in Huntington Station on Friday, Farrell was buried at the Cemetery of the Holy Rood in Westbury.
Robert Farrell traced the whereabouts of thousands of Civil War veterans with ties to Long Island after he retired from almost 30 years of work at the Grumman Aerospace Corp.
Farrell, a resident of Huntington, died on Dec. 21. of a heart-related condition at a hospital, according to relatives and a family obituary. He was 90.
Farrell is remembered as a giving and principled man with varied interests, the family said. He was a veteran, dedicated father, mentor and methodical researcher who could piece together disparate information to help keep the memories of veterans alive.
"He always loved to learn, and he always loved to share his knowledge with other people," said his daughter, Kathi Campbell, of Cranford, New Jersey. "He was always willing to talk to people, tell them stories."
Born in 1934 in Brooklyn, Farrell graduated from Most Holy Trinity High School in 1952, relatives said. He was part of the military between 1955 and 1957, serving as an Army private first class.
He earned a bachelor degree in business administration in 1960, relatives said in the obituary. He also received a master's in business administration in 1967 from Long Island University Post.
In 1961, he married Barbara, a native of Huntington. In addition to his wife and daughter, Farrell is survived by sons Thomas Farrell, of Merrick, and Christopher Farrell, of East Northport.
Campbell said her father was devoted to his family. He coached his sons’ soccer teams and often took her to New York Islanders games.
In his career at Grumman, Farrell took part in projects that included development of planes and a NASA lunar module, according to the family obituary.
After he retired, he was able to delve deeper into his love of history. Farrell explored his family’s genealogy. He was a member of the North Shore Civil War Roundtable and the Huntington Historical Society, the family said. He also was a Cradle of Aviation volunteer for 20 years.
Eventually, he decided to tie his war history and genealogy interests together in a project, researching Civil War veterans who lived in Babylon or Huntington, Newsday reported. The effort expanded to include more than 6,000 people with Long Island connections.
"I’m interested in the people who did the fighting and what they gave to society," he told Newsday in a 2024 profile. "I want to honor the ordinary soldier because I was one myself."
Susan Jaycox, president of the Genealogy Federation of Long Island, who worked on the initial phases of Farrell’s project, said compiling the names was difficult.
Many cemeteries didn’t know who was buried on the premises. Then, she said, someone would have to wander through the gravesites to find headstones — some of which were vandalized or in disrepair.
But both deemed the work necessary: "We both felt that … people should be remembered."
Joel Friedman, a volunteer docent at the Cradle of Aviation Museum and Farrell’s friend, said one of Farrell’s proudest accomplishments was identifying the graves of veterans.
As a friend and fellow volunteer, Farrell was a man of warmth and an excellent communicator who captivated young and old with interesting stories, said Friedman, of Great Neck.
"Bob is the person that we want to be able to use as a role model in our own lives," Friedman said.
Farrell is survived by his wife, Barbara; three children; four grandchildren; and a great-granddaughter.
After a Mass at St. Hugh of Lincoln Roman Catholic Church in Huntington Station on Friday, Farrell was buried at the Cemetery of the Holy Rood in Westbury.
Education: Howard University
Tiffany Cusaac-Smith came to Newsday in 2023 after being a race and history reporter at USA TODAY, where she wrote enterprise and spot articles examining how the past shapes the present. Previously, she worked as the race and justice reporter at the USA TODAY Network of New York, covering issues such as criminal justice reform, housing, environmental justice, health care and politics. At The Journal News/lohud.com in Westchester County, she covered Yonkers, the state's third-largest city. She also worked at The Associated Press in Atlanta.
Honors and Awards: Criminal justice reporting fellowship with the National Press Foundation; New York News Publishers Association award for distinguished investigative reporting; Contributed reporting for Best of Gannett honor; Member of Table Stakes, a program funded by the Knight-Lenfest Local News Transformation Fund and managed by the American Press Institute to transform local news.
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