Leon Farmer Jr

Leon Farmer Jr was born in Athens, Georgia in 1937. He attended Barrow School and was City Marble Shooting Champion in the 5th grade and School Patrol Captain for the City of Athens in the 6th grade. He attended the Athens Y, Pine Tops, and Big Y Camp under Cobern Kelly, Pop Pearson, and Coach Mike Castronis. He was the Athens YMCA Heavyweight Boxing Champion in 1948 and was a starter on Championship Basketball and Football Teams at the Y while in Junior High School. Leon was a student in Miss Flossie’s Dance Class and won the Shag Contest at the Martinique Club in Daytona Beach. He lettered in football under Coach Weyman Sellers at Athens High School and was an All Mid-South football player and graduate of Darlington School in Rome, Georgia.

Leon Farmer Jr had an Honorable Discharge from the United States Marine Corps and was High Shot, Platoon 3, MCRD, Parris Island, SC. He held the Combat Range record, ITR, Camp Geiger, NC, and was a Corporal in the Lebanon Landing of 1958. He was a graduate of the University of Georgia with a BBA and a Juris Doctor degree from Law School. He was a member of the State Bar of Georgia and was in the Chi Phi fraternity.

Leon Farmer Jr served in the Georgia House of Representatives, 1967-71. He served on the State Manpower Planning Council and the Status of Women Commission.

He was a member and chairman of the Anheuser-Busch Wholesaler Advisory Panel. He was also a Certified Reminiscence Counselor, a private pilot, and is a member and ordained elder of Central Presbyterian Church. Some of his other awards and recognitions include: AB Ambassador, UGA’s Circle Of Distinction; SunTrust Bank’s Top Dawg Award; the 2009 Legacy Award, Athens Tech’s Outstanding Benefactor; and the 2010 Community Service Award, Athens Athletic Hall of Fame.

Leon Farmer, Jr. passed away on December 8, 2014 at his home in Athens, Georgia. During his 57 years of service, Leon Jr., or “Big Chief” as many of us knew him, transformed our company to be an industry leader. His outstanding stewardship leaves us with a remarkable legacy that is evident in every facet of our business. We look forward to building upon his legacy and honoring the spirit of Big Chief in our future pursuits.