David Ashby Farrow, age 65, entered into eternal rest on April 13, 2018, after an illness that never suppressed his singular spirit. Mr. Farrow was born in Charleston on October 28, 1952, son of the late Emily Ravenel Farrow and John Ashby Farrow and grew up at 64 South Battery, on the family's farm on Old Town Road, and on his father's plantation on the Dawhoo River. He is survived by many devoted friends and his 'perfect angel,' as he liked to refer to, Kristin Gustafson, of Augusta, Maine. He was predeceased by his parents, and by his brother, Michael Ashby Farrow, in 2014. David attended Charleston Day School, Aiken Preparatory School, and Christ School in Arden, NC. He began college at George Washington University and finished at the College of Charleston. His summer jobs during college became fodder for his many columns, including the time when the late John G. Thornhill gave him the moniker of 'Tin Grippa.' This nickname arrived when David was part of house painting crew and held on to a roof for dear life while caught in the winds of a summer afternoon thunderstorm. David was a creative and imaginative soul of the Old South and produced a popular video called the 'Magical Mystery Tour of Charleston' in which he interviewed many longtime locals. When asked about the video, Charles Kuralt said: 'David Farrow's tour is full of the gossipy innuendo that defines the Southern eccentric!' He wrote many short stories that wove known events with his vast imagination. In 1997, his novel, The Root of All Evil, was published, a tale of Lowcountry haints, root doctors and local characters, some suave and brave like the author, he liked to say with his classic wink. In his early years, David worked as a reporter at the News and Courier and as the owner and editor of his own newspaper, the Charleston Times. For several years, he authored a fresh revival of the erstwhile, 'Do You Know Your Charleston', column in the Post and Courier. He served for two years as managing editor of the current Charleston Mercury and had a long running and much beloved column in the salmon sheets, the 'Pluff Mud Chronicles,' penned with publisher and longtime friend, Charles Waring. David was passionate about protecting Charleston, a commitment that gave rise to his campaign for mayor of his beloved city in 2011. He ran on the pithy slogan: 'Charleston is a community, not a commodity.' Writing in the April edition of the Charleston Mercury, David touched on the last challenge he faced. He said: 'Not too long ago, I found out the band is playing their last set. It's up to me to keep them up-tempo. I have requested In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida. Apparently, I have quite a fight ahead of me, another dance with the Big C. So be it. With the help of my good friends and woman whose heart is the size of Texas, I will walk in the sunshine and laugh in the rain.' Relatives and friends of Mr. Farrow are invited to attend his memorial service at the French Huguenot Church on Tuesday, April 17, 2018, at 3:00 PM and a reception to follow at the church's fellowship hall. Memorials in David's memory may be made to the Confederate Home, 62 Broad Street, Charleston, 29401.
