CHARLES (CHUCK) I FAIRCHILD Oct. 26, 1932 – July 4, 2025

Chuck was born in Marfa, Texas, to Leo and Anne (Koenig) Fairchild. He fondly spent his childhood in Fort Davis, where as a kid, his favorite hobby was chasing and riding wild donkeys with his three brothers. He later moved to Carlsbad, where he worked in his dad’s grocery store until graduation. There, he learned to speak Spanish fluently.

As an adult, he settled in Los Alamos, New Mexico. A small mountain town and builder of the atom bomb, it became his hometown, living most of his established life there, which in total, spanned 92 years.

His diversified career as a chemical engineer, industrial hygienist, and metallurgist, was successfully accomplished at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, by earning a bachelor’s degree from NMSU, and his master’s from UNM.

Chuck was a naval (gold wing,) jet fighter pilot and aviator. Flying a Douglas A4D Skyhawk was his ‘sweet’ flying companion during the Korean War. Later, as a civilian, he was a private charter pilot, flying people to Mexico, Canada and Alaska. (He longingly thought of Alaska as his second home). He also served as a CAP member, (Civil Air Patrol,) air search and rescue lieutenant, and was a captain of an elite flying entertainment group called the ‘Black Panthers’. He had flown more than 20 types of airplanes and put in over 6,000 hours throughout his lifetime, including his phase as a military ‘ace and top gun’.

His full-time leisure activities included flying, travel, dancing, (at any time,) writing, donating to charities and performing volunteer work, attending classical music concerts, skiing, boating and camping. As well, his family meant everything to him. (His pets, too). Chuck was always a God-praising, generous, kind and loving husband, a father of four, grandfather to six, (Grandy,) and a great-grandfather of five. As Chuck would say, I’m ‘muy bueno’. As his family says, ‘he was the best!’