Albert Phil Farrow Jr, beloved husband, father, uncle, granddaddy and “Pop” passed away peacefully on July 16, 2026 at the age of 92.

Phil was born in 1934 in Knoxville, Tennessee to Hester and Albert Phil Farrow Sr. He grew up in Knoxville and remained a devoted Tennessee Volunteer fan throughout his life. Phil loved his family and his God. He had a love of nature and was a lifelong learner who enjoyed adventure, new projects and lived a life of faith and purpose.

As a boy, Phil was an avid athlete playing basketball and tennis and was written up in the Knoxville News Sentinel as the “spindly legged lad” who shot the winning free throws in a varsity playoff game. He earned the rank of Eagle Scout. He was curious and industrious and his love for chemistry was demonstrated early as he tinkered in the lab and once set off a chemical reaction in a high school classroom! After graduating from West High School, he entered the University of Tennessee to study chemical engineering. He was a member of Sigma Chi fraternity and a letterman in tennis, serving as team captain his senior year. After graduating, he moved to Tampa, Florida, where he met his beloved wife, Sandra Creighton Farrow.

Phil and Sandra moved to Kingsport, Tennessee in 1960 where Phil worked for Tennessee Eastman Company, a division of Eastman Kodak (later Eastman Chemical Company). They had three children, Alison, Arleen, and Wade. Phil remained an avid tennis player until well advanced in age, winning dozens of local tournaments and teaching his children and grandchildren to play. Phil loved to travel and planned many fun family vacations over the years which often included hiking and camping. They frequently traveled to the Creighton family mountain house in North Carolina. There, he built many unusual things for his children and grandchildren including a waterwheel, a “bridge to nowhere”, a “treeless” treehouse, and a zipline.

Phil was passionate about photography, and especially loved taking photographs of his travels. In 1963 he was awarded a bronze medal in the Kodak International Salon of Photography for his photograph entitled “Daddy and Me.” This photo was later featured on the cover of Berea Alumnus Magazine. After retirement, he and Sandra traveled extensively including trips to Europe, Iceland, Hawaii, Canada, and many national parks in the US. Phil’s faith was central to his life. He was a longtime member of First Baptist Church in Kingsport, TN and served as a Sunday school teacher, deacon, and security chairman. He and Sandra served on mission trips to China, Belize, Nicaragua, and Alaska. He was a prayer warrior who loved to read his Bible and talk of heaven. Although we miss him greatly, we take peace in the knowledge that he is with his Heavenly Father.

Phil is survived by his wife of 67 years, Sandra Farrow; his children Alison Buckner (James), Arleen Ratliff (Mark), and Wade Farrow (Dana); eleven grandchildren: Marian Bayker (Suz), Katherine, Zach, and Josh Buckner, Ellie Ratliff (Jamie Pogue), Maddie Harraman (Carson), Audrey, Rachel, and Clark Ratliff, Max and Jorah Farrow; and great grandson. He was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Charlotte Farrow Liddell.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Thursday, August 6 at 2 pm in McIver Chapel at Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas, TX, with a reception following in the church parlor.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made to Samaritan's Purse,P.O.Box 3000, Boone, NC 28607