When William Farthing was 11 or so, a pilot came to town offering airplane rides to residents of Callands, Va.
The pilot noticed that Farthing was keenly interested in the plane. He made a deal. Make a windsock for the plane, he told the youngster. In return, the pilot said he'd take the boy up for a ride, free of charge.
He even showed Farthing how to make the windsock. It was completed lickety-split.
"He worked and worked on that windsock," said Barbara Farthing, his wife of 64 years. "And he got to go up for a ride."
Mr. Farthing didn't grow up to become a pilot, but he did enjoy a decades-long career in the airlines industry. For 45 years, he held various posts for United Airlines, formerly known as Capital Airlines.
At one point, he oversaw reservations and ticket sales for domestic and international flights for the airline's entire Southeastern region.
William O. Farthing, 86, of Dunwoody, died Dec. 31 at Altus Hospice from complications of a pulmonary condition. The funeral will be 11 a.m. Tuesday in the chapel of Roswell Funeral Home Green Lawn Cemetery, which is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Farthing's first job with the airlines industry was as a ticket agent for Pennsylvania Central Airlines. Later in the early 1940s, he joined the reservations/sales department of Capital Airlines.
At Capital, he oversaw the establishment of the airlines' first reservations desk for travel to Hawaii. The state of Hawaii honored Mr. Farthing with a commendation for his efforts to attract tourists, his wife said.
"He had made a trip to Hawaii," she said, "and thought it was the most wonderful place in the world. But United wasn't taking advantage of the market. A lot of airlines weren't back then."
In 1961, Capital merged with United. From 1955 to 1974, Mr. Farthing was the Southeast manager of reservations and tickets. From 1974 to 1981, he was the Southeast regional sales manager. He retired in 1988 as a regional reservations manager.
In 1957, Earl Partridge of Roswell started work at Capital Airlines. He eventually became a senior agent, and later, a supervisor. Mr. Farthing was his boss.
"To manage an office you need people skills," Mr. Partridge said. "You just needed to know the people, and that was his strong point. He had great empathy."
After retirement, Mr. Farthing worked in sales for Prestige Travel of Dunwoody. He was employed by the agency until his illness prevented him from working.
As a traveler, Mr. Farthing logged more than 150,000 air miles. He traveled to dozens of foreign countries that included England, Spain, France and Italy. Hobbies included golf and collecting coins.
Interestingly, the University of Virginia graduate's last name is the same as that of a coin once used as legal tender in England. The British coin -- called a farthing -- was worth one-fourth of a penny. It was discontinued in 1960.
Additional survivors include two daughters, Rebecca Farthing of Roswell and Mary Simonds of Alpharetta; two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
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