Eric George Farel, of Winchester, Va., died Saturday, July 25 and entered into the presence of his Lord. He was surrounded by his family and friends.

He was the youngest of two children born to Harry and Ellen Farel in Erie, Pa. on January 8th 1945. He graduated from Harborcreek High School and then attended North Carolina State University graduating with a degree in Forestry. After graduating from NC State he joined the US Marine Corps receiving his commission as a 2nd Lieutenant. He received an honorable discharge from the Marines and went to Vietnam as a field director with the Red Cross attached to the 101st Airborne division.

Shortly after returning from Vietnam he married his sweetheart Betsy on November 1st 1969; they recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.

He and Betsy settled in Winchester shortly after getting married. In 1972 his life would change forever when he trusted Christ as his savior and he dedicated his life to serving the Lord. He taught and coached in Winchester Public Schools for several years before resigning to help to start Shenandoah Valley Christian Academy (SVCA) in 1976. He was one of the earliest members of Shenandoah Valley Baptist Church (SVBC) and was brought onto the staff as an associate pastor while working at SVCA. In 1988 he became senior pastor of SVBC serving in that capacity until his retirement in 2012.

After retiring from SVBC he worked as an assistant pastor at Round Hill Baptist Church.

He is remembered by friends and family as gentle, kind-hearted man and a faithful witness for Jesus. He loved the outdoors—hiking, canoeing, mountain biking, fishing, and gardening. He was also a passionate sports fan and followed practically every sport.

He is survived by his wife Betsy, sister Susan Worman of Elizabethtown, Pa. and her husband Mike. His three children of whom he was very proud: James of Washington DC; John and his wife Jennifer of Owings Mills, MD; Erin Doxtator and her husband Josh of Strasburg, VA, and their two children, Eric and Emmet. He was greatly loved by his many nieces, nephews, cousins and other relatives.

Due to the coronavirus a private funeral will be held at Colonial Funeral Home of Leesburg with Pastor Mike Grooms officiating. He will be laid to rest at Lamps United Methodist Church in Mount Williams.

Memorial contributions may be made to:

The Association of Baptists for World Evangelism

ABWE Foundation LLC

PO Box 8585

Harrisburg, PA 17105

A benevolence fund has been set by Shenandoah Valley Baptist Church, PO Box 1360, Stephens City, VA  22655 for Betsy Farel.