Sean F. Farley

Sean Francis Farley, 49, of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., passed away on Monday, March 28, 2016.
Sean was born in Westerly, a son of Donald Farley and Patricia Panciera.
He graduated from Westerly High School in 1984 and attended the University of Vermont, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1988. Sean then attended law school at Whittier Law School in California where he excelled in his studies, earning a position on the Whittier Law Review and publishing a scholarly article on the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution on unreasonable searches and seizures. He soon put his criminal law expertise to good use after sitting for and passing the very difficult Florida Bar Exam, being admitted to practice, and accepting a position with the Public Defender's Office in Fort Pierce. His yearning for the shores of Misquamicut brought Sean back to Rhode Island where he sat for and passed the Rhode Island Bar Exam, was admitted to practice and accepted a position in the Public Defender's Office in Providence, R.I. He was considered an exceptional and successful criminal defense attorney, handling complex felonies and capital crimes. Not one to let grass grow under his feet, Sean returned to Florida with his then-wife Christine, where he set about making a home and raising his beautiful children, Benjamin and Abigail. And a dedicated father he was. An avid sports fan, he focused their loyalties on the Red Sox and Patriots and spent most of his free time coaching Abigail's youth soccer and softball teams and patrolling the sidelines at Benjamin's football and lacrosse games. He loved to surf, ski, skate, play catch, shoot hoops and run the occasional marathon. Sean was a devoted father, son, brother and friend. His unexpected passing left much in his life undone.
He is survived by his daughter, Abigail; his son, Benjamin; and their mother, Christine Farley, of Jupiter, Fla.; his mother, Patricia Panciera, of Westerly; his father, Donald Farley of New York City; his sister, Kristen Sweeney, of Elliot, Maine; his twin brother, Scott Farley, of Bel Air, Md.; and a host of adoring nieces and nephews, including John, Liam and Erin Sweeney and William and Anna Farley.
The family will receive relatives and friends at Gaffney-Dolan Funeral Home, 59 Spruce Street, Westerly, on Friday, April 8, from 4 to 7 p.m. Funeral service and burial will be private.
The family requests donations, in lieu of flowers, to the Sean F. Farley Memorial Scholarship Fund, an endowment established to honor an outstanding scholar athlete each year at Westerly High School. The link for online donations is: www.gofundme.com/Sean-Farley
For online condolences, please visit www.gaffneydolanfuneralhome.com