Donald Dewayne Fairchild

Services and burial for Donald “Don” Fairchild will be 11:00a.m., Tuesday, May 6, 2025, at Washington Cemetery in Claremore, OK. Friends may visit at the Inola Funeral Home on Monday, May 5, from 1pm-7pm, with family receiving visitors from 5pm-7pm. Don was born on January 13, 1959 and left us to be with previously passed family on April 30, 2025. He was surrounded by the love of his family in his preceding days. Don was preceded in death by his parents, Manley and Pauline Fairchild, his brother Gilbert Fairchild and other aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews.

Don was born in Nowata, OK and spent his younger years in the Claremore/Sequoyah area where he met and married Erica in 1979, remaining married for almost 46 years. He was a resident of Inola, since settling in 1993. Don became a sheetrock finisher at the age of 19 and made it his lifelong career. He was told that he was the only man who could build a house out of mud, he was just that good. His passions included fishing wherever he could find a good spot, working in the yard, grilling, playing pool and pitching pennies. He was pretty good at whatever he did. He also loved taking vacations with his wife, traveling west of the Mississippi. He enjoyed watching a good western and was constantly coming up with witty sayings, some of which cannot be repeated. He was a simple man with simple pleasures and he will be deeply missed by all who were fortunate to know him.

Don is survived by his sister and brothers: Marian Slimak and husband Ron of Oolagah, OK, Manley Fairchild of Foyil, OK, Sister-in-law, Shiela Fairchild of Foyil, OK, Tommy Fairchild of Tulsa, OK, James Fairchild and wife Pam of Claremore, OK, and Chris Fairchild and wife Kimbra, of Chelsea, OK. He is also survived by his children: Michael Fairchild and wife Talia of Lamar, MO, Donald Fairchild of the home, Jessica Blackwell and husband Kevin of Claremore, OK and he also cherished his role of “Papa” to his beloved grandchildren: Savannah, Gabi, Zach, Logan, Ayden, Korbyn, Jaxyn and numerous nieces and nephews.

“Grief is not just an emotion--it’s an unraveling, a space where something once lived but is now gone. It carves through you, leaving a hollow ache where love once resided. In the beginning, it feels unbearable, like a wound that will never close. But over time, the raw edges begin to mend. The pain softens, but the imprint remains--a quiet reminder of what once was. We never truly ‘move on’; we move with it. The love we had does not disappear; it transforms. It lingers in the echoes of laughter, in the warmth of memories, in the silent moments where we still reach for what is no longer there. And that’s okay.” ~Jim Carrey