William Robert “William Robert Farhat” Farhat

William Robert Farhat passed away on the morning of January 25, 2020 at Woodland Terrace of Niles, Michigan at the age of 85. His family is thankful to the Woodland Terrace staff for the care he received while living in their community for the past couple of years. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 am on Friday, January 31, 2020, at St. Anthony Catholic Church, 509 W. 4th St., Buchanan. Burial will follow in Oak Ridge Cemetery, Buchanan. Visitation will be held from 5-8 pm on Thursday, January 30, at Swem Chapel, 301 W. Front St., Buchanan. Memorial contributions in Bill’s name may be made to St. Anthony of Buchanan Knights of Columbus Council 14409. Those wishing to send a condolence online may do so at www.swemchapel.com. He was born on April 23, 1934 in Lansing, Michigan to Abraham and Rose (Tessine) and was raised in Grand Rapids, MI. William graduated from Grand Rapids Catholic Central High School and attended the University of Chicago and the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago to study piano. He was also a veteran of the US Army, serving during the Korean War from 1953-1955. He married the former Kathleen Leonard in Grand Rapids in 1968 before moving to Buchanan in 1971 to be a pioneer in the food service industry, founding Food Specialties Service Corporation (FSSC). The first of its kind, FSSC was a commercial commissary servicing 10 states in the Midwest vending industry for over 25 years. A devout Catholic, he was a 30 year member of St. John of Damascus Melkite Catholic Church in South Bend, Indiana. In more recent years, he was an active parishioner of St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Buchanan, where he was a member of the Knights of Columbus and enjoyed singing in the choir. He was avid supporter of community groups in Buchanan, especially those that supported well-rounded educational opportunities that emphasized the need for music in education. He had also been an active member and past president of the Buchanan Chamber of Commerce. He was preceded in death by his wife, Kathleen Leonard and his brother Lawrence Farhat (Marjorie). He is survived by his loving children, sons William Farhat (Mindy Cummings) of Orlando, FL and John Farhat of South Bend, IN, and by his daughters Michele Farhat (Linda Albiar) of Napa, CA and Alicia McClung (Brian) of Philadelphia, PA, his sister, Shirley LeMay and Susan Richardson and brother Eddie Parach, and 7 wonderful grandchildren Meghan, Amy, Cole, Jenny, Hunter, Tucker and Jack.