Terry Lynn Lair

Funeral services were held this week for Terry Lynn Lair, 50, of Fairfield, who died Jan. 30. A Rosary was held Monday evening at Griffin-Roughton Funeral Home, led by Mr. Lair’s long time friend Bob Jolley of Evant.

Graveside services were held Tuesday afternoon at Fairfield Cemetery with Father Devaraj Arulappe officiating. Readings were provided by Roger Nevill and Jordan Jackson, longtime friends of Mr. Lair, and music was performed by Melodye Griffin, cousin of Mrs. Lair.

Pallbearers were Rube Glover of Lone Oak, Mike Glass of Streetman, Jeff Kirgan of Hallsville, and Leldon Childs, Brandon Monico and Roger Nevill, all of Fairfield. A wake followed at the VFW Hall in Fairfield led by Jeff Kirgan, Leldon Childs and Rube Glover.

Mr. Lair, also known as “T” or “Big T”, leaves behind hundreds of friends who he loved with all his heart, all of whom are invited to celebrate his life with the family.

Terry Lynn Lair was born December 21, 1959 in Angleton, Texas. He was raised in Irving by two loving parents, Ray and Marjorie Lair. He hunted or fished with his father nearly every day of his life when he was young. Mr. Lair spent his summers in DeRidder, Louisiana with his grandparents; he was the “favorite” of the five grandchildren.

In high school Mr. Lair played football, threw the shotput and was very active in the rodeo club, later he was a professional steerwrestler and bullrider on the rodeo circuit.

On March 7, 1981 he married Tracy Lynn Williams. Shortly afterwards they moved to Fairfield and began a family. “Big T” was the father and best friend to Shannon Sallee Lair and Virgil Wade Lair. In Fairfield, he was employed first by Newsco and then by Texas Oil and Gas (TXO) where he made friends that lasted the rest of his life. He began working for XTO Energy in 2002 where he was a production foreman.

Mr. Lair loved hunting and fishing with his many friends. He hunted anything that walked or flew, often saying “if it flies, it dies.” He loved fishing in the Gulf of Mexico and took many trips along the Texas and Louisiana coasts to fish with his friends.

He also loved to cook, attending many cook-offs of all kinds and winning many times in several different categories. His cooking buddies were his closest friends; his favorite thing to do was to go with his friends to Terlingua or Houston or anywhere there was a good cook off.

Mr. Lair especially loved the Freestone County Fair where he cooked every year for the last 28 years. Over the years, he cooked for countless weddings, birthdays, holidays and benefits.

Mr. Lair was a Master Mason and a member of the Fairfield lodge. He also enjoyed shooting skeet and was an original member of the Steward’s Mill Gun Club.

He is survived by his wife Tracy Lair of Fairfield, his mother Marjorie Wade Lair of Fairfield, his children Shannon Lair Margraves and husband Butch of Fairfield, Wade Lair of Dallas, and his lifelong friend Rube Glover and wife Tanya of Lone Oak.

Later in life, Mr. Lair’s greatest joy was his three grandchildren, J. B. Haden, Jenna Haden and Ressie Margraves, all of Fairfield; he loved spending time with them and the children all adored him.

A memorial book is available at the Griffin- Roughton Funeral Home website.