Howard Keaton Farmer

Howard Keaton Farmer, 72, passed away at Viva at Phoenix Senior Living, January 7, 2024. Keaton was born in Albany, GA, July 12, 1951, to Dorothy and J. Lloyd Farmer. He was a member of the first graduating class at Deerfield, graduating with honors in 1969. In 1973 he graduated from Mercer University where he was a member of the Alpha Tau Fraternity. He then started working at Tri-State Sales Company. On June 8, 1974, he married Cynthia Jo Royster. He was involved in a horrific car wreck in 1987 when he was t-boned by a teenage driver. After regaining consciousness, a month later, he became one of the first two patients at Columbia Palmyra Medical Center Rehab. After six months of rehab, he began Volunteering at Palmyra. He would arrive at 6:30 to help serve breakfast and often worked 10 to 12 hours each day. He was chosen as Palmyra Volunteer of the Year in February 1992. He was a member of the Dougherty Leadership Development Institute Class of 1994. In 1996, he was awarded the Frist Humanitarian Award, the highest honor awarded at Columbia/HCA. In April 1997, he was voted “Best of the Best” Volunteers in the Albany Herald Reader’s Choice Awards. He was also a member of Leadership Albany, Class of 1999. Keaton was a Christian, always very polite and upbeat. He collected clocks, loved all types of music, and bar-b-que. Danica Patrick was his favorite race car driver. He was preceded in death by his parents, Dorothy Hightower Farmer and J. Lloyd Farmer as well as his sister, Melanie Batchelor of Lake Oconee, GA. He is survived by the mother of his children, Cindy Farmer, Jacksonville, FL, his sons Jonathon Royster Farmer, Florence, SC, Daniel Keaton Farmer, Jacksonville, FL, and Andrew Charles Farmer, Santa Rosa, FL and grandsons Ayden Farmer, Jacksonville, FL and Hudson Farmer, Santa Rosa, FL. Graveside services to honor his life will be held Friday, January 12, 2024, at 11:00 am at Cross Road Cemetery, Damascus, GA. Manry-Jordan-Hodges Funeral Home, Blakely, GA is in charge of arrangements.