Our beloved boss passed away and he will be greatly missed. We are thankful for his life and for sharing his wisdom with us so we can continue the business that he created that has served so many. RIP Doug, we love you.
The legendary Douglas Raymond Farnik, age 70, passed away Friday, Aug. 10, 2018, from a severe heart attack at his home in Joshua Tree.
Doug was born in Havre, Montana, on Feb. 23, 1948, son of Joseph and Dorothy Farnik.
He was raised on a farm 8 miles north of a small rural town, Hingham, population 150.
He loved animals: cows, pigs, chickens, his horse Sye and especially dogs. He helped his dad on the wheat farm from an early age, learning to operate all kinds of equipment. His mother, Dorothy, started him playing the keyboards at age 9, going 100 miles one way to Great Falls once a week for lessons. Doug played organ at Inverness Supper Club with his mother on Saturday nights when he was a teenager. He continued to perform and played almost every weekend and New Year’s Eve until recent years.
He graduated high school from Hingham High in 1966. He played basketball, did many science projects and acted in several plays. His high school selected Doug to go to Montana Boys State. American Legion Boys State is among the most respected and selective educational programs of government instruction for high school students.
He attended the College of Great Falls and the University of Montana in Missoula to pursue his pharmacy degree while playing music at country clubs and bars, making many lifelong friends. In Missoula, the band OPUS 3 was formed. In 1969, the OPUS 3 moved to the LA area to join a show band called The Rising Generation, which toured the United States and Canada and appeared with Tennessee Ernie Ford and Red Skelton. The Rising Generation did a USO tour during the Vietnam War where he played in Guam, the Philippines, Korea and Japan.
In 1972, he began his career in the appliance/central air, construction business, which he has been currently running for over 45 years. In 1983, he married the love of his life, JoNell, while living in Whittier. In 1990, they moved to Joshua Tree, and continued to live in both cities for 28 years.
He enjoyed cooking, reading, gardening, entertaining, traveling, mentoring, solving problems, building houses and listening to jazz music and was a private pilot. His travels and cruises took him all over the world and he especially enjoyed the Czech Republic’s food and beer; that was where his grandfather immigrated from. Most of all, Doug enjoyed spending time with his family and friends, especially the grandchildren.
He is survived by his loving wife, JoNell; his children, Jennifer Ciccone (Harold), Jimmy Meyer, Melody Farnik and Billy Meyer (Sarah); his brothers Jerome (Marilyn) and Michael (Denise); nine grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his mother and father, brother Eddy and his favorite dog, Togo.
A celebration of Doug’s life will be held from 2 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 25, at the Sportsman’s Club at 6225 Sunburst St., in Joshua Tree.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in honor of Doug to his daughter’s nonprofit: animalactionleague.us or P.O. Box 1413, Joshua Tree, CA 92252.
The central air conditioner is one of the most reliable HVAC systems you could have installed in your home. It’s no wonder why we’re asked to install them time and time again in Southern California.
According to the calendar, winter is over. It’s also over for most Californians, too.
Despite what they say about California, we’ll still be using our heaters at night for a little bit longer after the end of winter. During that final stretch of using your furnace, perhaps you might notice some small issues beginning to crop up.
Planning on installing an air conditioner this year? Before you do, you might want to add “zone control” to that installation. Retrofitting an existing ductwork system with zone control is not an easy task, so we want to inform you of this option before the installation.
The smell of cigarette smoke can leave behind some stubborn odors. If a room of your home has been smoked in for several months or years, you know just how oppressive that odor can be. Plus, the effects of second-hand smoke over a long period of time can prove harmful. Even before that, it may be enough to trigger the allergy and asthma symptoms in certain individuals.
Ah, yes… The air filter. An essential part of every forced-air heating and cooling system. This rectangular insert made of cardboard and mesh, whose sole purpose is just to get dirty and then be thrown out, can become a harbinger of doom. When taken for granted, the air filter can restrict airflow and cause your HVAC system to display several troubling symptoms just short of disaster. All because someone forgot to change it when it got too dirty!
The thermostat instructs the heater on how to function. You set a temperature, the thermostat sends a signal, and the heater responds.
Even if you don’t use your heater a whole lot in Southern California, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t run it with efficiency in mind. Here are some of our best tips for keeping your heating bill low throughout the winter.
