City Faces in Different Places
By Julie Perine on April 11, 2021 from City Faces
Today's Bridgeport City Face is often seen on foot around town. And it's likely you've heard his music, too. Meet John Farmer, his family and his walking buddy, Enzo, here!
How long have you lived in Bridgeport? If not a lifelong resident, tell me what brought you here.
I’ve lived in Bridgeport since 1988. My wife and I moved here from Alexandria. Va., when I decided to go to the WVU College of Law. My wife, the former Jo Carol Mancuso, grew up in East View.
Tell me about your family.
I met my wife, Jo Carol, at WVU in 1983, and In May, we will have been married for 36 years. Jo Carol works for Dominion Energy West Virginia. We have one son, Isaac, who currently lives in Madrid, Spain, and works as an English teaching assistant in a bilingual school. Isaac is 26 years old and is also a WVU grad.
What about pets?
We have a 5 year-old beagle named Enzo. He is my workout buddy.
Where do you work and what do you do there?
As of September of 2020, I am retired. I worked in the oil and gas industry as a title and leasing landman.
What are your hobbies/favorite past times?
I enjoy hiking, including what I refer to as urban hiking. You can see me almost any day with Enzo hiking the streets of Bridgeport. We try to walk at least 6 miles a day, 5 days out of the week.
In my retirement, I’ve found my inner chef and enjoy experimenting with new recipes, as well as developing my own. Lately, I’ve been making different homemade soups, roasted vegetables, and omelets.
I also play a lot of guitar. I started playing in 1969 at the age of ten. That Christmas, Santa brought me a ukulele and my older sister, a guitar. Before New Years, I had taken over my sister’s guitar playing ukulele chords on it, and then I bought a book to figure out what to do with the other two strings. Currently, I play guitar while leading worship for the Celebrate Recovery Ministry at Clarksburg Baptist Church.
Favorite Bridgeport spot?
I love walking the streets of Bridgeport. It’s hard to pick an actual favorite spot. But, I guess my favorite spot in Bridgeport is our patio at night sitting around a warm fire.
What do you like about Bridgeport … why is this a good place to live?
What I really like about Bridgeport is the sense of community. I feel it all over the city. That sense of community extends through neighborhoods, the downtown area, and even into the schools. I think it’s fantastic that the schools of Bridgeport are located smack dab in the middle of the community. There’s so much parent and community involvement. It brings about a sense of pride that reverberates not only through schools, but the whole community. It was a great place to raise our son.
One – or more – of your favorite memories of something that took place in Bridgeport ...
I have so many wonderful memories of Bridgeport, but some of my favorites are from coaching my son’s Little League A-Ball team. I worked with several great men to try to instill a love of the game in our children. I used to tell the parents of the kids I coached that if these kids wanted to someday take their kids to see a game, then we, as coaches, had truly done our jobs right. My son, like me, is a lifetime baseball fan.
What is your favorite WV spot outside of Bridgeport?
I love spending time in Davis and the Blackwater Falls area. I also like Harpers Ferry. Both areas are great places to hike, and the scenery is spectacular.
How about your favorite place outside of WV?
My favorite place outside of WV is coastal New England. I particularly enjoy Rhode Island and Maine. Outside of the United States, I adore Spain. I just may love these places so much because they are where family resides. They truly are gorgeous, as well.
What are some of your favorite things?
I love hiking, cooking, playing music, and worshipping at Jewel City Church.
Food/restaurant?
As for food, except for the occasional seafood and sushi, I enjoy vegetarian dishes. Lately, I’ve been craving roasted eggplant and linguine with marinara sauce. My favorite restaurant currently is Oliverio’s, but that could be a different answer if you ask me a week from now. We have so many wonderful restaurants in this area.
Favorite color?
My favorite color is blue. Most of my wardrobe is made up of shades of blue.
Music genre/artist?
I’m a fan of 60s and 70s classic rock, rhythm and blues, and Chicago blues. My favorite artist is Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.
What is your best childhood memory?
My fondest childhood memories are from the WV Baptist Camp at Cowen. I went there for 9 straight years as a camper. The best memory of those camp experiences was the week I spent living in a Teepee on top of the mountain at the camp.
Interesting fact about you and/or something you would like to add…
For the last few years I have been the bass player and one of the vocalists of the local band, The Grey Agents. We play original music that is more in the vein of the late 70s, early 80s rock and roll style. We have recorded two albums. It’s really cool to know that music I’ve written and other songs I’ve played on are found on Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon, etc. Creating with the other guys in this band is truly satisfying.
