The Life and Story of Sean O’Farrell

This timeline is being updated as new documents and information are discovered. Much of the information comes from undated newspaper clippings and documents that Sean left behind, which makes it difficult to place everything in exact chronological order. Some details also come from stories my mother remembers from knowing Sean personally.


Sean O’Farrell grew up in San Francisco in a well-known family. His grandfather, Jasper O’Farrell (1817–1875), was an Irish-American politician and the first official surveyor of San Francisco. He is credited with designing the city’s “grand promenade,” which later became Market Street, and O’Farrell Street in San Francisco was named after him.

As a young man, Sean’s family wanted him to become an artist, but he had other ideas. At fourteen years old he ran away from home and stowed away on a freighter bound for Argentina. While in South America he signed on as a seaman aboard the brigantine Angela out of Montevideo and sailed on ships of Uruguay and Argentina. His time at sea lasted for several years before he finally retired from sailing at the age of twenty-two.

After returning to civilian life, Sean eventually followed the artistic path his family had encouraged. He studied architecture and later worked as an architect, designing several buildings including the architecture of the Army and Navy Academy in Carlsbad, California.

During World War I, Sean served with the 25th Calcutta Motor Machine Gun Battery. He also spent time in India, where he studied metaphysical philosophy extensively. Sean quoted “The only reason he isn’t able to walk on water is because he doesn’t believe he can.”

Sean later became deeply involved in the Southern California art community. He was one of the originators of the Laguna Festival of Arts when it was established in 1933. He ran an art studio in Laguna Beach where he taught oil painting and etching for many years before closing the studio in the early 1970s.

Throughout his career he exhibited with several local art groups, including the Carlsbad-Oceanside Art League and with the Hotel Del Mar art group.

Sean married actress Buela Fooker, who later became known as Elizabeth B. O’Farrell. She had worked as a child actress in early films, appearing alongside Buster Keaton and serving as a stand-in for Mary Pickford.