Evelyn Farnum

Boston Real Estate Icon, at 83. For many, Evelyn Wasson Farnum, known as Evie, was the face of Boston. Through her firm Evelyn W. Farnum Real Estate, she welcomed countless people to the city, where she continued to shepherd them through the intricacies of settling into a new environment, often introducing them to others in the Boston community and sharing her extensive social network. Mrs. Farnum died of cancer Saturday at her home in Boston's Harbor Towers, where she and her husband Geoffrey had lived for the past thirty-five years. Before moving to Boston from Cleveland, Mrs. Farnum had worked for Hackett and Arnold as a sales representative for residential properties. When she sought work in the Boston commercial real estate market, she found it to be a world not welcoming to women, so she started her own firm. She also bought enough stock in various local companies to enable her to attend board meetings and press for equal representation of women at the executive level. Born Evelyn Louise Wasson on May 21, 1924 in Meadville, Pennsylvania, Mrs. Farnum attended Penn State to major in Chemistry, and graduated with a major in Industrial Psychology. She was elected to Kappa Alpha Theta and remained loyal in Theta throughout her life. Her entrepreneurial skills exhibited themselves during college where she started a desk blotter advertising business, a model she later taught to her oldest son Michael Horn, who subsequently started a similar business to pay for part of his own college expenses. Prior to starting her real estate firm, the elegant and stylish Mrs. Farnum marketed a line of handblocked resortwear that she placed in stores ranging from Bergdorf Goodman in New York to smaller stores around the country. In 1980, she started the East India Trading Company, a marketing enterprise whose clients ranged from Salt Marsh Pottery and Sussex Trug Baskets to Julip Model Horses and the Sha Sha Designs line of silkscreened accesories. "Mom could bring out the best in everything and everybody," her son Michael said. "She had an innate skill for sales and marketing. And she loved people, which helped." Mrs. Farnum needed only three to four hours of sleep each night, and was fond of quoting the phrase attributed to Arthur Godfrey, "If you wake up, get up; if you're up...do something." She gratefully termed her extra wakeful hours her second day. Evelyn's day was never long enough. She had such "joie de vivre, such energy, and just embraced life to the fullest," her longtime friend Katie Ongaro commented. Her tireless energies, curiosity, graciousness and humor enriched the lives of others and brought her a devoted circle of friends. Mitzi Cotter fondly spoke of their friendship of thirty-five years, during which they talked on the telephone every day. "One has many acquaintances, she said, but Evie was my true friend." Even an adverse situation would give Mrs. Farnum the opportunity to make a new friend. After being mugged in the 1980's, Mrs. Farnum continued to walk all over Boston, often crossing paths with the police officer who had come to her aid. Each time they met, he greeted her with a smile and a hug and stopped traffic so that she could cross the street. Mrs. Farnum's charitable activities and interests were extensive and generous beyond convention. She had served on the Board of Trustees for the Women's Educational & Industrial Union, where she was appointed Secretary for a term. She also served on the Board of the Nichols House Museum; co-chaired the Sponsors, Benefactors & Patrons Committee for the Ellis Antique Show for two years; volunteered for the Junior League Designer Showhouse each year since arriving in Boston; and served as chair of Parish Council at King's Chapel, where she also chaired the Membership Committee. Together with her husband Geoffrey, she co-chaired the Sunday night suppers at the Cambridge Boat Club for three years. Until two weeks ago, Mrs. Farnum was often at Macy's by 7:30 AM, when the store allowed her and her long-time friend Jane Marshall to shop for clothing for children in need as part of a program coordinated by The Fragment Society and the Department of Social Services. In addition to Geoffrey C. Farnum, her husband of forty-eight years, and her son Michael of Dedham, Mrs. Farnum leaves her younger son Todd Horn of Denver, Colorado; a brother William Wasson; two grandchildren, Lillian Elena Wasson Horn and David Geoffrey Horn; two daughters-in-law Tonya Hongsermeier and Jane Horn; and four godchildren, Lilian Faulhaber, Annie Sweeney VanOsdol, Natalie Ongaro, and Taylor Ongaro. The family is planning a celebration of Evelyn Farnum's life for September. Donations in Mrs. Farnum's memory may be sent to The Fragment Society at 490 Gay Street, Westwood, MA 02090.