Leon Farmer Jr.

May 23, 1937 – December 8, 2014

H. Leon Farmer, Jr. was born in Athens, Georgia and attended Barrow School, where he was City Marble Shooting Champion in the 5th grade. 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. 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 earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Georgia, where he was a member of the Chi Phi fraternity, and then a Juris Doctor degree from the UGA School of Law. He was a member of the State Bar of Georgia.
In addition to his leadership at Leon Farmer and Company, Leon Farmer, Jr. served in many other roles over his lifetime. He served in the Georgia House of Representatives, 1967-71. He also served on the State Manpower Planning Council and the Status of Women Commission.

He was a member of the Anheuser-Busch Wholesaler Advisory Panel for five years and served as Chairman of the Panel from 1976 to1977. He was also a Certified Reminiscence Counselor, a private pilot, and a member and ordained elder of Central Presbyterian Church. Some of his other awards and recognitions include: Anheuser-Busch 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.

During his 57 years of service, Leon, Jr., or “Big Chief” as many knew him, transformed the company to be an industry leader. His outstanding stewardship left a remarkable legacy that is evident in every facet of the business.