Michael Edwin Farmer, 56, of Fishers, Ind., passed away unexpectedly of natural causes on May 4. His family and friends are deeply saddened by his sudden death.
Farmer was born Nov. 20, 1965, in Greenfield, Ind., the son of James Edwin Farmer and Mary Linda Link. He graduated from Greenfield Central High School in 1984 and received his bachelor’s degree in accounting in 1988 from Ball State University. He began his accounting career at Blue & Co., and in 1998 he and two other colleagues formed Alerding CPA Group. Farmer served as director in charge of the audit practice until he retired in 2019. He continued to advise privately held companies and served as a guest instructor with local universities and professional societies.
Over his 33-year career in public accounting services, Farmer was not only a trusted advisor and colleague but also a loyal and compassionate friend. He treated the firm team members like family and enjoyed hosting his firm’s annual holiday celebration at his home for a number of years. He also served as a voluntary board member for several charitable organizations that were important to him, including, most recently, the Indianapolis Public Library Foundation.
Outside of work, Farmer’s biggest passion by far was motorcycles. It began at the age of 7 when his grandfather gave him the gift of a small Honda dirt bike. He quickly moved on to bigger and faster bikes and participated in hundreds of motocross races in his youth. As a young adult, he took up road racing and honed his skills on the track. He developed deep friendships with other riders on the circuit and maintained these relationships throughout his life. He cherished the sport, the technology and the friends he made along the way.
Farmer is survived by his mother, Mary Linda Link; brother, Randy (Torri) Farmer; sister, Debra (Jim) Stewart; and niece and nephews, Keeley, Aiden, Sam and Matt. He was preceded in passing by his father, James Edwin Farmer.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to the American Diabetes Association or the charity of your choice. Online condolences may be shared by visiting flannerbuchanan.com.
