A. “Tony” Fairchild

Arthur Lewis “Tony” Fairchild, age 90, of Wayne, formerly of Reeders, PA, passed on Sunday, September 19, 2021.

He was born in East Mauch Chunk, PA (now Jim Thorpe) and raised at 22 West 7th Street in East Mauch Chunk, PA. Family history/rumor has it that “Tony” was a name imparted on him by a neighbor when he was just a baby.  The neighbor heard the name his parents gave him and said “that’s a terrible name, we’ll call him Tony” and that was it.

Tony left high school to join the United States National Guard and was assigned to Company B,  of the 164th Military Police Battalion. He enlisted on July 6, 1949 and after two months was released by the National Guard on September 13 of 1949 and enlisted in the United States Airforce for a three year hitch.  During his service in the Air Force he was a teacher, crew chief, and radar mechanic for ground equipment installation. When his three years were up, and the Air Force realized what a diamond they had, they refused to let him leave and forced him into what his Honorable Discharge papers say was an “involuntary extended nine months” of which he served five months.

During his military service he met a beautiful girl, on a blind date, named Eleanor McNelis and they married on May 8, 1952.  They had a backyard wedding in Larksville, Pennsylvania and had a weekend honeymoon.  When they returned home they found the party in the backyard was still going on. Tony and Eleanor had thirty four years of marriage that was blessed with three children Donna, Kathleen, and Gary before Eleanor’s passing in 1986.

When it comes to Tony’s work history it’s best to pre-empt it with the fact that he was a brilliant problem solver who was never wrong and loved what he did.  He was a freelance engineer who was involved in many things we take for granted today.  We will list just some of his accomplishments here: AB Dumont Corporation he worked on air craft radar systems, fixing televisions and two way radios for military jeeps, Bendix Corporation Standards Labs assembled and trouble shot analog computers, Kearfott Corporation he worked on navigation systems, compass systems and gyros, Avion Corporation he worked on computer systems for Navy Dive Bombers, guns, rockets, bombs and associated navigation systems, ITT Corporation he worked on aircraft carrier navigation systems, Raytheon Corporation where he worked on Hawk missile systems that drop into the water and sink to a specified level before exploding, IBM Corporation where he set up computer airline reservation systems, Data Trends Corp/GE Honeywell where he worked on fiber optic devices, invented the key card reader used in hotels to open doors, Fairchild Product Development where he consulted on medical devices that wound up winning the Nobel Prize for Medicine.  He consulted for innumerable other corporations with projects like: conveyor belt systems that feed coal to furnaces with precise measure, large scale bakery conveyor systems that weigh out ingredients, lift systems to assist people with stairs, tubs and hospital beds, and even designing a hysterometer for measuring and optimizing the recipe for making rubber.  He was a consultant at Trump Tower when they wanted to drill holes in the buildings concrete walls to install more windows. He also worked on the Manhattan Bridge when they needed to drill mounts for new steel cabling. Some more of his endeavors include: working on rockets, the fastest paper tape reader, NOAA air samplers at Brook Haven Labs in NY, and cutting up an Atomic Reactor.  To say his work life was diverse in an understatement. He never really retired. He bought acres of property in Pennsylvania and covered it with all manner of equipment, machinery, and just about anything he could see a purpose for.  The family related that he had over 1,000 screwdrivers just to give perspective on his collecting and imagination for re-purposing. When it came to “stuff” one was never enough!  Whether it was flashlights, pocket knives, screw drivers, machinery, tools, or pads of paper more equaled better in his mind. A quote on his refrigerator sums it all up “He Who Dies With The Most Toys – Wins.”

When it came to societal rules Tony wasn’t a big fan.  He did what he wanted when he wanted, was never wrong, and a solver of all problems.  When you had a problem he would say “get me a pad and pencil.”  His mind was always racing to take on the next task or problem,  refused to have his mind limited by boarders, and never took NO for an answer.  A shining example of this is when he ran for Congress under the Lyndon LaRouche ticket.  He was brilliant, had a very dry sense of humor and had no time for small talk. His sense of humor showed in uncharacteristic ways.  When he watched television he would watch shows such as Benny Hill and Pinky and The Brain. In his senior years he enjoyed wood carving, painting, skiing, white water rafting, and was an accomplished Ballroom dancer.

He was the loving husband of the late Eleanor Fairchild (d. 1986); loving father of Donna Brightman of Wayne, Kathleen and Theodore Popadics of Wayne, and the late Gary Fairchild (d. 2002); he was the cherished grandfather of Daniel, Tanya, Kara, and the late Courtney (d. 1997); and dearly loved great-grandfather of Landon and Brooklyn; he was also predeceased by his seven siblings.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to Paterson - Habitat for Humanity would be greatly appreciated.