Sigma Eta Chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon at Cal State San Bernardino

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Jon M. Farthing
Nickname: Skippy
Scroll Number: Transfer from Weber State College (Omicron Zeta)
Hometown: Redlands, CA
Degree/Major: BA in Economics
Graduating Class: 1992
Campus Activities: Intramural Sports
Offices Held: Hypophetes
Birthdate: 1968

Notes from Editor:
Frater Jon Michael Farthing, 32, passed away to the chapter eternal on March 29, 2000 from complications following an aneurysm. He came from Utah to Redlands with his family in the summer 1989 and joined Sigma Eta that fall. He was initiated as a Teke at Weber State College (Omicron Zeta). Soon after his arrival to the chapter he quickly integrated himself into the social scene by living with Tekes for most of his college career at CSUSB in a condo at Edgehill, the Varsity Street House and The Cage. He held the offices of Hegemon and Hypophetes while becoming a very active member of the chapter. He loved to travel and go on adventures with his brothers and friends to the mountains, desert and the ocean. He was an avid surfer, loved baseball, and was big fan of Phish and The Grateful Dead.

After graduation he moved to Encinitas and married Frances Regal of San Bernardino. He taught elementary school. His home at Moonlight Beach gave him ample opportunity to enjoy the ocean for all it was worth. He was a great basketball player and was competitive in every sport he took part in. His performances at Greek Week triathlons and other events were incredible spectacles to behold as his spirit and determination carried him high above the others.

His ashes were laid to rest in the ocean at his favorite surfing spot, Swami's Beach in Encinitas, with over 100 fraters and friends there to pay their last respects. Jon's presence and the gifts that he had to share with the world will be sorely missed.

If you would like to contribute stories/memories to appear on this profile, please email them to support@gfual.com and I will add them as soon as possible.

From his fraters ...

Jay Pereyra
I was standing at the foot of his hospital bed the day before he passed away. His mother was gently caressing his arm and head as she was telling me all the things that kept him busy during the past three or four years Jon and I had not been in contact. There was an obvious presence of fear in her eyes and in the tone of her voice that I could not understand. I truly believed that at some point soon I will see him outside that hospital nursing himself back to health and I would get a chance to tell him what an asshole he was for having everybody go through that ordeal. I remember his mother encouraging me to speak to him. "I know he can hear you." she said. My reply was honest, "there'll be plenty of time for that when gets out of here." The only thing more vivid in my memory was Frankie's very last words at the end of the funeral service -- "It's over." I didn't realize until then that I will never see Jon again, or that I'll never get a chance to say all the things I needed to say. He'll never hear me tell him how much I appreciated having him around, especially in trying times when I needed someone to be there. That I will live the rest of my life with hope that he knew how much I loved having him as a friend, and that somehow I was able to give him at least a fraction of what he had given me.

Y.I.T.B.
Jay 72

EL TEKE
Has it really been a year? I still can't believe it. When I first met him he introduced himself as "...my name is Jon Farthing. I';m a TEKE from Weber State in Utah...." I thought to myself, "first of all, where is Webert St? Is that a school for bakers? Utah???" Yes, I went looking for a map. Then he said "I love the Jazz and the Lakers SUCK!" Needles to say those weren't endearing words to me. I got to know him and I'm glad he came out here and joined us. I can't help but just smile whenever I think of "Johnny Utah". He was too much. I often told him that he was the most raunchiest white boy I had ever met and he'd tell me that Mexicans couldn't paly basketball.

Jon Farthing story: FLASHBACK CIRCA 1989 or 1999.... Gary Jimenez's girlfriend threw a party for him in San Bernardino. Of course, all of us were there. Jon parked a little red VW bug that he had in front of the house.. I was outside in front of the house with a few other bros'drinking a few beers. Next thing I know, we're picking up the bug up onto the curb and we turn it around so that it ended up up on the curb facing the other way. We began to laugh and proceeded to keep on drinking. Jonny came out and without breaking stride opened the door to his car, he turned it on and took off. He flew off of the curb and bailed in a swirl of dust. He wasn't drunk or nothing, he was too smart for that, its just that he played along with the joke. We all fell out laughing our asses off. It was too much.

That's the type of guy Jon was. He enjoyed life and he lived it to the fullest. He was often the first to laugh at someone and also the first to laugh at himself. What a guy...what a friend...what a bro...what a TEKE...WHAT A MAN.....i miss you mi amigo

David Millican
Jon was the person that got me into coffee. We were roommates at Edgehill, where Russel owned a condo. This was June 1992 until June 1993. He and Russel shared one room and I rented the other. He had an espresso machine and bought gourmet coffee. He used the milk frother for cappuccino. I was hooked.

He played guitar. He wasn't very good, but he loved music. I think he learned how to play from Andrew (who was really good).

Jon had already graduated college in 1992 but was lacking direction. He worked at a hospital in the phone department. He was the doctors' answering service.

He told me a story about his VW bus. It was so loud that he'd set off the car alarms with the echo of the van in the parking garage of the hospital. As he'd drive by, he'd hear the alarms pop off.

He told me that he was rich. He borrowed money from his parents to fix his car. He shared a small room in a small condo because he couldn't afford his own place. He borrowed my computer because he didn't have one of his own. Still, he claimed to be rich.

But he could surf any time. He could camp in his van at the beach. He could eat steak every day. That was his evidence to his claim of wealth. I thought that he was just a loser at the time, but I was entirely wrong.

Jon was a lover of life. He taught me to love the journey. It doesn't matter where I am. He taught me that there is a price to pay for being an over-achiever. Balance is important. I thank God for the time that I had with Jon. Now that he's passed on, I get sentimental. I emphasize in my mind the gifts he gave to me.

Why is that?

YITB,
David Millican

Geoff Newman
One of my favorite Jon stories happened at Jersey's Pizza. He and I were splitting a pitcher of stale beer. I had a very wrinkled shirt at the time and Jeff Christophel (Sigma Chi) made a wise ass comment about "Sigma Chi tip = IRON your shirt". Jon noticed that Jeff had pants on that still showed the little white strings which hold the tag on. Jon quickly quipped "Teke tip, cut the tags off you pants before you go out." Much more funny then. Reading it doesn't convey the stupid look Jeff had on his face.

Geoff

Andrew Carr
Hello all,

I am happy to write about my friendship with Jon. He and I lived in the TKE house a bit over a year - from fall 1990 to December 1991. Sharing a room with Jon was an ambitious thing to do (like Dave Millican says, he loved life, and was eager to share his enthusiasm with me at all hours).

So many Cal State memories include Jon. Here are some:

Camping trips to the mountains. During these trips, Jon proved time and again that he could subsist for days on chips and candy. He was always the last to sleep and the first to awaken. During these trips, he showed me a bit abot mountain biking. He had an amazing bike, totally hyperengineered for trail riding (but he made good use of it on the street as well).

Surfing trips. He was there the first time I stood on a wave (even though just for a few seconds). We went to the beach together for three months before I could finally stand, and I remember hearing him cheer from way back in the lineup. He always insisted that I keep trying, no matter how much sea water had been swallowed.

The ultimate in intramural softball, the TKE B team. I played first base, Yak at second, Jon at shortstop or third. Most other positions rotated amongst other fraters, but for some reason we three loved being there and trying to keep things tidy in the infield. Whenever a fielder's choice situation arose, Jon would shout, "Whatever's comfy!!" Jon would play ridiculously hard. Usually he'd ask us Yak and I to go to the Wooden Nickel (is that the right name?) bar afterwards. He played hard there, too.

The music. Two shows I saw with him that I won't forget. Dramarama and Material Issue. Material Issue was big. I mean BIG. Jon made sure we learned to play every song on one of their records, and to see the live show with him was somewhat of a spectacle. His record collection (yes, wax LPs) was quite cool, including other artists like the B-52s, General Public, and some classic rock (Hendrix) as well. He didn't always listen to the "music of the day," so it was with surprise that I once saw an EMF record in his collection.

Clothes. Jon liked to shop, perhaps some of you wouldn't guess that by the way he often dressed. But he had an amazingly full closet and loved to add to it when there was enough money. He was always changing his appearance. On some days, he might resemble an east coast ivy leaguer, while on other days he might seem like a San Clemente surf shop owner. Reinventing himself came easy, I think, and in more ways than just clothing.

Jon was so utterly unique in how he lived (like Dave says, he L I V E D). For him, every moment counted. It was fascinating to watch him, this intellectual roustabout who could be at once laid back and totally hyperactive. He was (still is) relevant to my memories of undergrad days.

Until soon, all the best,
Andrew

Mike Shea
The funny things about all of these Farthing tributes is that when he first came from Utah nobody liked him and and didnt want to let him in. Alls he wanted was to be apart of the group and we made him earn it. He had to go through the Chi Tau ritual and didnt once complain. I personnally have some great memories with Jon. The Material Issue concert with Andrew, Football games were he was the only one who could catch my errant high passes, (mostly the one he caught in the last few seconds to beat delta sig), and most importantly during a retreat to Big Bear were we in the same bed with 2 mountain girls having fun. Well jon had the most fun as his was more friendly and I kept coping a feel to make sure that he didnt need any help.

Gary Karg
For those of us that were not used to taking things for granted, Skippy was the kind of guy that had to grow on you. But over time he had the uncanny ability to do just that. I met Jon when I was a pledge (er.. A.M.) in the Fall of 1989. I was new to the campus and to the Inland empire. I was meeting many people very fast and remembering names and faces proved difficult at first. Jon, always the opportunist, took full advantage of this. I seemed to have gotten him and another frater named Eric Herrmann mixed up (they did look quite alike). The first time I called Jon "Frater Eric" I was at the old campus pub and was trying to get his signature in my damn black book. He of course (jokingly) made it a big deal so I quickly offered to buy him a beer so he would overlook this.-- Big Mistake! I don't know if he collaborated with Frater Herrmann or not, but it seems for the next few days everytime I would bump into Jon I would call him by the wrong name. If I said Frater Jon, he would claim to be Eric and vice-versa. Needless to say each mistake cost me a round at the bar (usually between classes!).

Jon later became my roomate at the Teke house on Varsity where he also seemed to find ways to take advantage of situations. "Borrowing" things, etc.. But I also learned that when he had it to give, he could be just as giving as well. Skippy had a big heart and always wished the best for everyone, even those he didn't care for. You just had to get to know him!

Thanks for the memories Jon,
Coot.

Dennis Danao
Jon Farthing was an interesting character. Yup, I lived with the guy for a long time at the Teke House with Drew, Cooter, and a few others who rotated to that house. He was definitely a lover of life and he did what pleased him but he never did it just to displease anybody (well, maybe Pete Gatlin).

Even though we lived under the same roof, we didn't talk very much except when rent and utilities are due. I was at work most of the time so they tend to leave me alone but he would always make a point to invite me when he was going to do something fun and exciting. He tried to get me into surfing just like Drew (and we went to the beach a couple of times) but I could stand not seeing the waves coming without my glasses. Furthermore, I mistakenly identified the gray matter that swam close to me to be a shark and that just ruined my surfing career. Anyway, that's a different story. Jon loved to be near the ocean to surf, to camp, and to hang out; and it doesn't matter if it's in California or Mexico. I guess I envied his freedom to do whatever he enjoyed but I was happy for him. At least one of us was making the most out of what life has to offer. I needed to work lots of hours because I had committed myself to the company I worked for while Jon only work to pay for rent, utilities, and basic necessities. He didn't need much.

I guess one good thing about not hanging out with Jon too often is that I couldn't lie to Mia Griggs whenever she calls looking for Jon. That's another thing that amazed me about Jon. He had a girl all the time and it wasn't necessarily Mia, but that's what college undergrad was all about as Shea pointed out.

I'm not sure how he and Drew communicated but Jon's futon worked overtime and extra innings. I've noticed Drew get accustomed to my couch but think much of it. Drew still loves that couch...

What sticks to my mind whenever I think of Jon are the times we played basketball together. Whether it'd be at the gym during greek week or just for fun at the cage, Jon would always give it his best effort to win and if we lose, he'd simply take it in stride and play the next game. He played hard and enjoyed it no matter what the outcome may be. He was just grateful to be a part of something that he fits in. And I think he fit in Sigma Eta just fine.

Although we were never close, I respected Jon Farthing for what he was -- a true frater. May the good Lord keep him in peace.

Big D

Brian Murphy
Memories of Jon:

The first time I met him was at my parent's house in Highland. I had invited the bros to come over for swimming and basketball on one of those 100-degree July afternoons. Jon had just gotten into town and wanted to hook up with the Tekes. It was a good day and we quickly found out he could play ball.

Jon took me on my first trip to Tijuana. Jon, Steve Moore and I took the trek down to Mexico one Saturday afternoon. I had the time of my life drinking and dancing with a lot of girls. We ate tacos and wandered up and down Revelucion until the wee hours. On our way back across the bridge, two girls that we had been dancing with earlier in the night left the two guys they were talking to and ran up to us. Jon and I both got girls and Bambi kinda just tagged along. We took them back to our hotel in San Ysidro and Jon railed her all night on the floor. I was in the other bed and Steve, well he didn't know what to do so he slept in the car. My payback was having to take those two girls up to San Diego at 7am to get their car. I made a wrong turn and ended up on Coronado Island. They were bitching the whole way back and I couldn't wait to toss them out on their asses.

Jon and his van. Most every VW van that I see today reminds me of him, especially maroon ones. He drove us to Lalapalooza in '91 in San Dimas. He cooked chili dogs for Frankie, Anna and I at Padre games. It was always broken down yet seemed to be always running. It was him.

Floppy hats.

One day he decided he wanted to start a surfing export company and he came to me to help make a logo on my Mac SE (like that was possible). He was so enthralled with the logo, that it seemed to take precedence over starting the company. He ended up making his own.

The One and Only Challenge Ever to Take Place - Both Jon and Geoff took it like men, but Jon was the one with the oar-shaped bruise on the back of his leg.

His marriage - Jon married Frances Regal, whom I have known since junior high. Jon met her when I brought Frankie over to the Cage one day. They hit it off pretty well right away. It was neat to see two friends of mine come together in marriage. Jon was the most important thing in her life. They took very good care of each other and their love was strong.

Jon really was an amazing person. He blessed my life for sure, and many many others. And if there is an internet connection in Heaven, I am sure Jon is happy with what he has seen here on this page.

If you would like to contribute stories/memories to appear on this profile, please email them to support@gfual.com and I will add them as soon as possible.