Henderson County Coroner Bruce Farmer retired Tuesday from the spot he’s held for since 2007, citing medical concerns as the contributing factor.
Farmer will be replaced by current Deputy Coroner Shelia Patterson, who was appointed by County Judge-Executive Brad Schneider after Farmer’s resignation at Tuesday’s Henderson County Fiscal Court meeting. She will be sworn in Jan. 2.
A retirement celebration for Farmer will be 3 p.m. Friday, Jan. 3 in the Fiscal Court courtroom.
Farmer, 71, has spent his entire career in service to the community. According to the coroner’s website, he began in 1974 as an emergency medical technician. Three years later, he also began working for the Henderson Ambulance Service. From 1985 to 1997, and then again from 1998 to 2007, he served as deputy coroner.
Since 2007, he’s been coroner.
County Attorney Steve Gold thanked Farmer for his years of service and said Farmer was responsible for professionalizing the coroner’s office and taking it to a higher level. He also mentioned Farmer’s role as one of the founders of the W.C. Handy Blues and Barbecue Festival.
Farmer “is always serving,” Gold said. “Thank you for leading with a servant’s heart.”
Farmer said he’s having internal issues and has four doctors “picking” at him currently. He is also scheduled for surgeries in January, he told the Fiscal Court. He said if it weren’t for his health, he would have continued as coroner.
He told the Hendersonian that he’ll miss most “helping the people of Henderson County. This is what I’ve always done.”