Chris A. Farrington, a retired newspaper reporter, died December 3. Born April 11, 1947, in Syracuse, she was the daughter of C. James and Roberta Holmes Farrington of Sandy Creek, NY.

Miss Farrington began her 35-year newspaper career as an editorial assistant at the Binghamton Press Inc., a daily and Sunday evening newspaper in Binghamton, NY. Her two-year stint as what was then termed a “copy girl” included working with the newspaper’s artist in retouching photographs for publication and with the Sunday editor on copy for those editions. Miss Farrington then moved to a position as editorial assistant at Bee Publications Inc., owners of weekly newspapers, headquartered in Amherst. She was hired for the conversion of the weekly Clarence Press and the Akron Herald newspapers into the Clarence Bee newspaper and was reporter, photographer, and editor for both papers. During her two-year tenure at those newspapers, she also covered the police and court beats for the Amherst Bee weekly newspaper. Miss Farrington joined the staff of the Union Sun & Journal in Lockport in 1970, spending most of her career there as police-court reporter, retiring in 2001. She began work at the daily Lockport papers as a general assignment reporter and within five months rose to the top beat at that newspaper. She then spent two years on the county government beat, covering legislative meetings, the county college, all other county departments as well as county, supreme, and surrogate courts. Miss Farrington spent the bulk of her 31 years at the Lockport newspaper on a police-court beat encompassing state, county, and Lockport city police activities and all town and county court activities in eastern Niagara County. At the last sale of the Lockport papers, she was transferred to covering town governments and schools in the eastern section of the county.

A 1965 graduate of Harpursville Central High School, Harpursville, NY, she had attended the University of Houston in Houston, Texas, studied two years with the Famous Writers School and later attended Bryant & Stratton Business Institute in Buffalo. While in Houston, she also had worked as a microfilm file clerk, short order cook, and cashier. In the 1960s, in her early 20s, she was given honorary membership in the Clarence Friendship Club, a senior citizens group, and two citations from the Clarence Jaycees. She also was a member of the former adult education committee of the Clarence Narcotic Guidance Council and served as the only non-Indian advisor for the Tonawanda Indian Community Board of the Tonawanda Seneca Indian Reservation outside Akron. Also during that time, she worked as stage manager for the Clarence Community Player’s production of George M. Miss Farrington was an instructor at the Niagara County Law Enforcement Academy in Sanborn from its inception in 1973 until her retirement from the Lockport newspaper. In 1989, she received the George Gallagher Memorial Award, named for the late Lockport town justice. The award, given by the Niagara County Deputy Sheriff’s Association, goes to private citizens whose work supports law enforcement. A long-time member of the National Rifle Association and 12-year member of the Tonawanda Sportsmen’s Club in Sanborn, she enjoyed horseback riding, swimming, camping, reading, writing, hunting, fishing, and drawing.

Predeceased by her parents, surviving are a sister, Cindy (John) Graney, and a brother, James (Annette) Farrington, both of Rochester; two nephews; one niece; one grand-nephew and one grand-niece.

Friends may call at the RUTLAND-CORWIN FUNERAL HOME, INC. 2670 Main St. Newfane, NY THURSDAY from 3-5 PM where Memorial Services will be held at 5:00 PM. Burial will be in Oakwood Cemetery, Syracuse, NY at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Niagara County Sheriff PBA PO Box 805 Lockport, NY 14095 would be appreciated by the family.

Please visit www.rutland-corwin.com to send a condolence to the family.