Family pays tribute to son after sudden death

9:50am Thursday 13th November 2008

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A POPULAR painter and decorator and father-of-four has died suddenly aged 37.

Justin Farwell, who was born and brought up in High Wycombe, suffered a massive heart attack while he was working at a house in Chinnor on October 31.

His family have been left devastated by his death.

His older sister Donna, who was with him when he died, said: “He was very much loved and and whenever you remember him he's always remembered smiling.

“Whenever he came into somebody's life there was nothing he wouldn't have done to help anybody, he didn't have a selfish bone in his body.”

His dad Keith, 58, added: “He was a one-off, unique.”

Justin, a huge Wycombe Wanderers fan, went to Holy Trinity School in Marlow before going on to Princes Risborough Upper School.

While still at school he got a part-time job as a butcher, and later became manager of the butchery department at Booker Cash and Carry.

In his mid-twenties he married his wife Nicki and moved into his first house in Stokenchurch, which is where he discovered his passion for developing properties.

The couple had two children Sophie, 15, and Charlie, 12 and later moved to Princes Risborough, where Justin redeveloped three homes and set up his business, Able Hands.

In around 2002 he split from Nicki but went on to meet his partner of five years, Sam who he had his two youngest children with, Millie, four, and Bryn, 17 months.

He and Sam lived in three homes in Aylesbury.

Soon after moving into their first house the couple discovered Sam was pregnant with Millie, so Justin set about turning the bathroom into an extra bedroom, and a cupboard into a bathroom.

Sam, 34, said: “Everyone used to say it was like a tardis because he made the most of it.

“He'd be up till 3 o'clock in the morning drilling and banging.

“When I was pregnant with the baby we moved into our current house because it didn't need much doing to it. He had to sit on his hands to stop himself doing anything.”

His mum Jo, 55, added: “His favourite word was potential.”

Through Able Hands Justin worked in dozens of homes across Bucks, Berks and Herts and became a well-known tradesman throughout High Wycombe.

Sam added: “Everyone we speak to who we know has got at least one room in their house decorated by him or artexted by him.”

Justin's other passion in life was football and he was a keen supporter of both Wycombe Wanderers and Nottingham Forest, a team Keith introduced him to at the age of seven.

Donna, 39, said: “The only thing he ever got to himself was his football. He loved football.

“That was the only thing he did for himself, everything else was about everybody else and what they wanted.”

A footballing highlight for Justin, a former season ticket holder for the Chairboys, was going to both legs of last year's Carling Cup semi-finals, when the Blues took on Chelsea.

“That was a big thing for him,” Donna said.

Justin was a “fantastic dad” and would often take one of his four children or three step children along to a game.

“He was so dedicated to all his children. Everything he ever did was for them,” Sam said, “It wouldn't necessarily be spending money on them, it was about being with them.

“Whether it was sitting playing with them, taking them to the park, wherever he went he usually always had one with him.”

Justin's funeral is being held today at Amersham Crematorium, with a wake afterwards at Adams Park in Hillbottom Road.

His home team will also be marking his death at next Saturday's home game against Port Vale, by including an obituary in the match day programme.

The family wanted to thank Phil, Hazel and Kyle whose house Justin was working on when he died, for their help.

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