(Fort Worth Star Telegram (TX) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge)
FORT WORTH -- Bill Fairley, a longtime Star-Telegram promotions manager who spun his love of Fort Worth and history into a popular history column, died Wednesday at a Fort Worth nursing home after a long illness. He was 83.
"The most pleasure he probably got in life, other than his family, was writing that column and doing that research," son Billy Fairley said.
William G. Fairley was born April 7, 1927, in Amarillo. His parents returned to their former home of Fort Worth when he was very young, and he grew up in Arlington Heights in a house that Billy Fairley and his daughter still occupy.
Except for his World War II Army service (he later joined the Air Force Reserve, eventually retiring as a lieutenant colonel), Mr. Fairley never called anyplace but Fort Worth home.
"I always joked he was like the sparrow -- born, raised and died within a five-mile radius of his nest," Billy Fairley said.
Mt. Fairley began his Star-Telegram careeer in the early 1950s as a promotions manager -- one of Amon G. Carter Sr.'s last hires before retiring, his son said. Billy Failey recalled that the family often accompanied Mr. Fairley to Star-Telegram-sponsored events such as the grand opening of Six Flags Over Texas or the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo or Golden Gloves competition.
In the 1980s, Mr. Fairley took early retirement but didn't stop working. He co-owned a printing business and later worked for a public relations company.
He was also a talented painter, his son said. Eventually, Mr. Fairley's love of writing and history pulled him back to the Star-Telegram.
The paper had started a section targeted to west Fort Worth. "He knew the editor, called him up and said, 'I grew up on the west side, lived here my entire life if you would like some content on what it was like in the old days.'" And so began Mr. Fairley's column, then titled "Tales Of Old Westside." When the west Fort Worth section was stopped, Mr. Fairley's column had become so popular enough that he was asked to continue writing a column but with a broader historical angle.
Mr. Fairley became well-known at the Central Library downtown, where he did much of his research. He also grew close to Kevin Foster, a retired Fort Worth police officer who has a special interest in the department's history. Foster described Fairley as a good friend with a tremendous sense of humor who was especially proud of his grandchildren.
"I loved working with him and discussing Fort Worth history and our families," Foster said. "He was a great source of information and had an incredible memory for details. He always amazed me. He will be missed by me and all fans of Fort Worth history." Shirley Apley, senior librarian in the genealogy department, has worked for 16 years at the library. Mr. Fairley called or stopped by a few times a month, seeking information from her or her now-retired colleague Max Hill.
"He always knew exactly the piece of information he wanted -- he just needed verification," Apley said. "There were a couple of times that Max called him to verify information when we were stumped." So important to him was his column, Billy Fairley said, that when Mr. Fairley was hospitalized with life-threatening bacterial meningitis several years ago, it was the column that motivated him to recover.
"The doctor said, 'Mr. Fairley, you've got to latch onto something to give you the strength to get over this,'" Billy Fairley said. "He told the doctor, 'I want to be able to write my column again.' By golly, he got back and wrote his column a few more years." Other survivors include his wife of 62 years, Marie Fairley; son Brad Fairley; daugther Sara Alley; and four grandchildren Sara Fairley; Seth, Alex and Liana Alley.
Copyright (c) 2010, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
