The Albuquerque District is sad to report that retiree Marie Farnsworth passed away Dec. 31, 2022, 6 months shy of her 100th birthday. We offer our deepest sympathy and condolences to her family and friends. Her obituary can be viewed online at: https://www.frenchfunerals.com/obituary/Marie-Farnsworth
Marie Farnsworth, who retired in 1988 as chief of Information Support Services Branch, was officially inducted into the Gallery of Distinguished Civilian Employees, May 18, 1993. Farnsworth was accompanied at the ceremony by her husband, Dave, two of her children, James and Nancy, and her niece, Kay.
"There is no award like this award,” Farnsworth told the audience upon being presented with the honor." The people who actually earned this award are the group of people I worked with.”
Farnsworth joined the district in 1942 as a clerk-typist in the Safety Office. In 1951, she was promoted to chief of General Services and established the first travel section in the district. In 1956, she resigned her position to stay home and raise her children. When her oldest son went away to college, she accepted a position in the travel section. Later, she was promoted to chief of the Office of Administrative Services, which at that time encompassed many of the duties of the logistics office and Information Support Services Branch. When the Information Management Office was created, ISS was placed under and Farnsworth was made its chief - a position she held until her retirement in 1988.
Perhaps Farnsworth’s greatest accomplishment was the publication of the Albuquerque District’s first written history, “A Mission in the Desert.” Farnsworth supervised the entire project, including writing the scope of work, finding the author and personally assisting with publishing. The book has been reviewed by the Smithsonian and republished by the University of New Mexico Press.