John Joseph Farrell, 88, peacefully passed away suddenly in The Villages, FL on July 20, 2026.

John was born in River Rouge, Michigan on October 31, 1937 to Mary and Thomas Farrell.

In 1960, he graduated from Baldwin Wallace College in Berea, Ohio and received his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh in 1964.

From 1965 to 2001 he taught chemistry at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, PA. His commitment to innovative teaching, his leadership at the college, and his contributions to process oriented guided inquiry learning (POGIL) have left a lasting mark on students and educators. In 2021 he received the “Alumni Merit Award” from Baldwin Wallace University for his work with the POGIL team and an associated chemistry textbook. When not focused on teaching, John played the piano, was an avid tennis player, and also enjoyed playing pool.

Family, friends and colleagues remember John as unfailingly kind and gracious and will miss him dearly.

John is preceded in death by his wife LaRue (2012), his daughter Melissa Kralick (2010), and his sister Mary Pavlin (2015).

He is survived by his son Ted Farrell (Webster NY), his sister Patty Barrett (The Villages FL) and four grandchildren: Tom Farrell, Megan Farrell, Brittany Kirlin and Katie Kralick and his extended family in The Villages.

In keeping with his wishes, there will be no funeral services. The family requests that any donations in his honor be made to the POGIL project at https://pogil.org/donate.