Travis E. Fairchild

Travis Eugene Fairchild was 86 years old when he passed away on September 3, 2022, after battling a rare neuro-muscular degenerative brain disease.  Travis was born December 17, 1935, in Janesville, Wisconsin, to Eugene and Leona (Schultz) Fairchild, and his family moved to Beloit, WI shortly thereafter.  He graduated from Beloit Memorial High School in 1954, where he was very involved in ROTC.  It was then that Travis enjoyed helping on his father’s farm in Illinois and at his father’s shingle company.   Travis went on to earn a BBA from Milton College in 1960 and began working in the accounting department at the General Motors Assembly Plant in Janesville, WI.  There he met Ginny Gray of Milton, whom he married on September 16, 1961.  During that time, Travis served his country in the U.S. Army Reserves from 1960-1966.

In 1970 Travis was transferred to Michigan where he worked at the GM Commercial Accounting Center in Southfield, MI as a systems analyst, later working at the GM Tech Center in Warren, MI, until retiring in 1990.  Travis worked very hard to provide for his family, all the while living in Farmington, MI.  Travis and Ginny then relocated to Holt, MI, and started wintering in Ft. Myers Beach, Florida.  He enjoyed gardening, helping his friend Joe farm his land, spending time with friends, playing card games and chair volleyball, as well as dancing with his wife.  Travis loved being outside, and his favorite thing to do was ride his bike every day.

Travis’ memory is being carried on by: his wife of 61 years, Ginny Fairchild; daughter, Debbie (Chuck) Bird of Lansing, MI; son, Scott (Tara) Fairchild of Winter Garden, FL; grandchildren, Samantha and Ethan Bird, and Jared and Devin Fairchild; sister, Susan (Thom) Logan of Las Vegas, NV; brother-in-law and sisters-in-law, Bill and Nancy (Gray) Wilson and Carol Gray of Tolland, CT; and several beloved cousins, nieces, and nephews.  He was preceded in death by his parents; parents-in-law, Ralph and Shirley Gray; and sister, Nancy Jorgenson.

A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. Sunday, October 9, 2022, at the Estes-Leadley Holt/Delhi Chapel, where military honors will be provided by the U.S. Army.  Casual attire is requested.  Online condolences may be left for his family at www.EstesLeadley.com.