Charles William Farmer, 74, peacefully passed away on May 23, 2022, after a battle with cancer. He was born in Jacksonville, Florida to Ernest and Hessie Farmer. Charles was the youngest of nine children. His siblings include Earnestine Webster, Harold Farmer, Fedricka Johnson, and Eddie Farmer. He is survived by his two sisters, Joan Hepburn and Gloria Brown. After high school, Charles enlisted in the United States Army. His tour took him to fight in the Vietnam War.   He also attended Florida A&M University.   After the war, life was full of ups and downs.  Charles found redemption, community, and love in the rooms of Narcotics Anonymous. There he became a pillar of the recovery community.

He became a well sought-after speaker, sharing his story of sobriety and triumph, inspiring and motivating others with his journey.   Although he found a career  in Business Administration and Accounting, his true passion was in drug addiction counseling. Armed with the wisdom and knowledge of his experiences in life, he found his purpose as a counselor and dedicated his life to helping others to find hope beyond their troubles with drug addiction.

Even though he always had a relationship with the Lord, Charles found a church home and renewed and strengthened that relationship at New Chapel Baptist Church. There he sang in the men's choir, became a deacon, and started a recovery house with the church.

Charles received his BA and Masters's in Counseling from Lincoln University in Pennsylvania.  He became an expert organizer within the drug addiction education arena. In his field, he worked for the District Government as a methadone specialist and as a drug addiction counselor. His extraordinary service within the industry gained recognition that led him to the Island of Bermuda. There he and his team created a successful drug rehabilitation center on Darryl's Island. He touched many lives in Bermuda and brought a level of preeminence to the area of drug rehabilitation on the island.

After his accomplishments on the Island, he relocated back to the DMV area. There he continued his work helping people recover from drug addiction. It was truly his life's work to care for those in· need. He often said, "If I can help someone along the way, then my life will not be in vain." And helping people is what he did. Life took him on a journey living in Florida, Iowa, Maryland Bermuda, and Georgia. In each place, he left a lasting impression on people, impacting lives everywhere he went.

Charles was married a few times and was blessed to have produced five beautiful children. Charles was a strong, kind, loving, and supportive father. His knowledge and guidance were the foundation 1;>f his family. The lessons he taught his children were invaluable.  He is survived by his children, Daryl, Carmen, Malika, and Sarita.  He was also the  proud grandfather  to  nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.  There are no words to describe the impact he had on the lives he touched and the love that he showed. He will forever be missed.