At 90, Dave Farmer Still Officiating High School Sports and Inspiring Generations
REDLANDS, Calif. — At an age when most people have long since retired, Dave Farmer still laces up his shoes, dons the black-and-white stripes, and hits the field or court — whistle in hand.
Farmer, 90, is an active CIF Southern Section official and is believed to be the oldest high school referee in the nation. Officiating keeps him moving — and keeps him young.
“It keeps you young,” Farmer said. “I can still run down the field with an 18-year-old — not very fast. I never was fast, though.”
A lifelong educator, coach, and official, Farmer currently works four sports: football, volleyball, basketball and softball, spanning all three high school sports seasons. He took only two months off this summer.
Farmer graduated from the University of Redlands in 1956 and spent 38 years teaching physical education, driver’s education and coaching at the high school level. He’s a familiar face to generations of Inland Empire residents who still know him simply as “Coach Farmer.”
“My first job was at Fontana High School in 1956,” Farmer said. “My first game was in San Jacinto. I drove from Fontana to San Jacinto for a two-man football game. I got $8 for that game.”
In the nearly seven decades since that first whistle, he has officiated just about every high school sport.
Michael Dewees, a former student and player under Farmer, remembers him as fair, consistent, and dedicated.
“Having been a student and athlete under Coach Farmer, I know emphatically that he was fair, understanding, and very by-the-book,” Dewees said. “I’m sure that’s the same approach he brings to officiating.”
When he’s not officiating, Farmer runs a small landscaping and sprinkler repair business — a side hustle he started out of necessity when his late wife was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Her care cost more than his teaching pension, so he picked up a mower and went to work.
“I started mowing lawns and doing sprinkler work,” Farmer said. “People found out I could do sprinklers, and I made enough money to keep her in the Alzheimer’s place until she died.”
That same work ethic defines Farmer today. Dewees says it’s not unusual to see him out in town, running into former students or players who recognize him instantly.
“I always run into former students,” Farmer said. “They say, ‘Hey, Coach Farmer, how you doing?’ Sometimes I don’t remember them — it’s been 40 years — but it’s nice to see them.”
Over the years, Farmer has received numerous awards and recognitions for his decades of service to local athletes, but he shows no signs of slowing down.
“Coach Farmer may have slowed a step or two,” Dewees said, “but he’s still on the field, on the court — and still committed to being the best official he can possibly be.”
Now, Farmer splits his time between officiating, running his business, and spending time with his great-grandchildren — where all his extra income goes these days.
At 92, retirement still isn’t in his playbook.