We Live in Hearts We Leave Behind~Thomas Campbell

A funeral will be held Saturday, July 23rd, 2005 for James F. Fairchild M.D. of Perryville who died Tuesday, July 19th at his residence.

He was born April 25th, 1927 in Nashville, Arkansas, the son of James and Rubye Anne (Nowell) Fairchild, who both preceded him in death.

He married Anna Margaret Graff on December 25th, 1951. She preceded him in death.

Survivors include: four sons, James F. (Joy Hoeh) Fairchild Jr. of Columbia, Scott (Lori Martens) Fairchild of Allen, Texas, Peter (Sandra Polk) Fairchild of Aiken, South Carolina and Andrew (Denyse Porter) Fairchild of Bellville, Michigan; a daughter and son in law, Margaret and Rick Gebhardt of St. Louis; a sister and brother in law, Betty and Ralph Romig of Perryville; and nine grandchildren.

A brother, Glen, also preceded him in death.

Dr. Fairchild graduated as valedictorian of Perryville High School in 1945. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy after graduation and served in the Naval Reserves until 1947.

Subsequently he completed his Bachelor of Arts Degree at the University of Missouri in 1950.

At MU, he was elected to membership in Phi Beta Sigma, Sigma Xi, and Phi Beta Kappa fraternities.

In 1951, he completed a Bachelor of Science Degree in pre-Med.

He married Anna Margaret Graff in Perryville on December 25th, 1951, while on Christmas break from his medical studies at Northwestern University in Chicago.

Successful completion of his Doctorate in Medicine led him to an internship/residency at Missouri Baptist Hospital in St. Louis. After completing his residency in 1953, he eagerly returned to Perryville.

He never considered practicing medicine in any other community, and was proud to have delivered more than 2,000 babies at Perry County Memorial Hospital.

He loved making house calls during the early years of his practice when many patients had no personal transportation.

After his Board Certification in Family Practice, he became a lifetime member of the Missouri Academy of Family Practice, serving as president of the Missouri Academy in 1988 and 1989.

He mentored numerous University of Missouri medical students as Preceptors at Perry County Memorial Hospital.

Dr. Fairchild practiced Family Medicine in Perryville for 44 years before his retirement in 1999. After retirement, he spent many years on the Perry County Board of Mental Health.

His passion for Perry County and the surrounding community is well known.

He was instrumental in supporting, planning, managing and developing the medical and mental health system at Perry County Memorial Hospital.

As a Democrat, he advocated for the poor and underserved and was a philanthropist to charitable causes.

Memberships also included the First Baptist Church in Perryville, where he served in numerous capacities; past president of the Perryville Lion's Club; and honorary member of the Order of the Arrow in the Boy Scouts.

He spent many leisure afternoons enjoying lunch and conversations with friends at Moonier's in McBride.

Visitation will be 3-9 p.m. Friday, July 22nd and 6:30-8:30 a.m. Saturday, July 23rd at the Young and Sons Funeral Home.

A funeral for 78-year-old James F. Fairchild M.D. of Perryville will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 23rd at the First Baptist Church in Perryville. The Rev. Dennis Cebulak will officiate.

Burial will be in the Home Cemetery. A military graveside service will be provided by the American Legion Post No. 133.

The family requests donations to the Dr. J.F. Fairchild Endowment Scholarship Fund that will be used to further the education of Perry County residents pursuing careers in medicine.