Alan was born in the coal town of Winding Gulf, WV on September 1, 1931. The Farley family moved to South Charleston, WV in 1935. Alan earned a Bachelor of Music degree from Morris Harvey College (now University of Charleston) in 1953, a Master of Music & Music Education from the Teachers College at Columbia University in 1959, and a Doctorate of Education from Virginia Tech in 1975. Along the way, he married Carol, had three children, and the family lived in WV, Virginia, and North Carolina at different times. After about 15 years as a public school music teacher in WV and VA, he moved on to research and administration, retiring in 1995 as Superintendent of Spotsylvania (VA) County Schools. He and his wife Carol then moved to Pawleys Island, SC to enjoy warm weather, beach life, friends, and family. Alan died on his 89th birthday, September 1, 2020, surrounded by family and friends.
Alan began writing the about his family history in 2012, a collection named “Joplin Hollow“. The printed version is available from Lulu Press at cost. The cover art was created by Alan. Click on the image to view a high-resolution version.