Brenda L. Farrell

Brenda Baker Farrell 'BB' passed into the greater life on June twenty sixth 2023
She was received into the world by the late Preston and Ruby Baker on January 17, 1943.

BB graduated from the Oneida Baptist Institute boarding school in 1960 and received her RN degree in 1964 at the Louisville General Hospital School of Nursing. Days later, on June 11, 1964, she married Dr. William Frederick Farrell. Their first Son, Stephen, was born in 1966. His children are Shelby, Will, Clay and Sam. In 1970, her second son, Ben, was born. Ben and his wife, Heidi, have two children, Roy and Adam. Besides her children and grandchildren, also left to cherish BB is her only sibling, Roy Baker, who is married to Jean. They have seven children, Kathryn, William, Joan, Tom, Fred, Lisa and Lori.

Bill and BB had a wonderful life together working, travelling and entertaining. Bill practiced Dermatology for 19 years in Owensboro, Ky. Unfortunately, Bill died unexpectedly in 1987.

BB moved back to Louisville in 1990. Louisville brought many friendships and group activities to BB's life.

Innately, BB cared about people. She was a natural caregiver who worked diligently to fix any problems her friends or family had. Her Mother lived to be 102, in part, thanks to BB's care and attention. BB never met a stranger. It was a joy for her to meet people and learn about their lives and families. She even took pictures of all her Doctors and nurses over the years. She wrote exquisite, thoughtful thank you notes on monogrammed stationery.

Cooking and baking were among her many talents. She baked cakes for all the birthdays in her running group. An invite to one of her multiple course dinner parties, where she made everything from scratch, kept her long time friends forever grateful.
BB was athletic and very competitive. She ran the Boston Marathon and played USTA tennis for over 20 years. She always played to win. There was no other way. She was one of the first to discover pickleball, for which she won numerous medals.
Music was a lifelong passion. BB played the piano and loved to sing. She enjoyed the arts, especially The Louisville Orchestra and Actors Theatre. And, the music and singing with her friends was her favorite part of attending St Francis in the Fields Episcopal Church.

BB was meticulous and exacting. She loved her martini – very dry, up, and with a twist – and could tell immediately if any ingredient was out of balance. She also made the best Old Fashioned cocktail, which was a favorite for her Mother, Ruby Baker.

BB described herself as a strong mountain woman and she proved it. In 2012, she was diagnosed with mantel cell lymphoma, an aggressive and incurable illness. But, she did not let it slow her down. She fought her disease valiantly with the help of the Baptist Health Medical Group Oncology team and especially Dr. Andrew Hart. Because of the care she received, she resumed all her usual activities. Getting up at 5:15am to walk each morning with her group was a given, even in inclement weather. BB's realistic approach to life enabled her to take one day at a time and let nothing hold her back. She continued to travel and meet new and interesting people.

BB loved her children and grandchildren and valued their gatherings at the farm in Oneida. When her sons, Ben and Steve, came to town, she absolutely beamed with pride.

There will be a private service for the family.
Gifts of condolence may be offered to St. Francis in the Fields Episcopal Church in Louisville, Kentucky.