David Leslie Farnsworth, 88, died on June 14, 2026, in Asheville, N.C. He was a gentle giant; a devoted husband, father, and grandfather who never stopped learning, evolving, or caring for his family.
Dave was born on June 11, 1938, in Syracuse, N.Y. He was raised in Canandaigua, where he was a proud Boy Scout and a bus boy at Kellogg’s Pan-Tree Motor Inn and Restaurant. He was also a three-sport varsity athlete, playing football, basketball, and baseball. During his senior year, Dave helped lead his basketball team to a 21-0 record and a sectional championship. Scoring a total of 1,009 points during his high school career, he later became one of the inaugural members of Canandaigua Academy’s Athletic Hall of Fame.
Dave graduated in 1956 and matriculated at Dartmouth College, where he studied history and was a member of Casque & Gauntlet, Phi Delta Theta and, later, the Ripley Society. But his greatest college memories — and friends — came from his time on the basketball team. Together with his teammates, Dave took home two Ivy League championships and even reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament…