Obituary of A. Joseph Fairbank, Jr.

A. Joseph Fairbank Jr. Arthur Joseph Fairbank passed away Saturday, November 27, 2010 at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio. Joe, as he was known, was born in Jamestown, New York on February 1, 1925 to Arthur Joseph Fairbank Sr. and Priscilla Armstrong. He grew up in Ashville, New York and on the nearby family farm. He attended schools in Ashville and Lakewood, graduating from Lakewood High School in 1943. He attended Cornell University in Ithaca, New York for a year before he joined the Army Air Corps, returning to complete his degree in 1948. Joe served as a B-24 navigator in the Panama Canal Zone, where he met his future wife, June Marie Schenker. They were married June 20, 1946 and enjoyed 49 years sharing family, running the business, friends, gardening, birding and travel together. She passed away in 1995. He returned to Ashville and helped his parents develop their wholesale meat business. Under his guidance the company developed into a large, regional beef slaughterer, distributer, and processor. His involvement with Fairbank Farms was more than just his decades of leadership. He most valued the employees, farmers and cattle dealers with whom he worked. Joe was known and loved for his generosity of spirit. He was happiest when surrounded by family and friends. Joe was a lifelong learner and supported Cornell University, the Alpha Zeta fraternity, and served on an advisory board for the College of Agriculture. He served as a director for the First National Bank of Jamestown and on the board of the Audubon Society. He was also a member of the Sportsmen's Club. He was an avid pilot and promoted general aviation through his unending enthusiasm, including having encouraged many others to learn to fly. He enjoyed hunting, fishing and bird watching, as well as the places that these pursuits took him. He is survived by three sisters, Jane Carlson, Barbara Carlson (Don), Ruth Chiama (Bernard); his two children, Keith Robert Fairbank (Jean) and Priscilla Anne Fairbank (Owen Goldfarb); his six grandchildren, Catherine Record (Chris) of Logan, Utah and their 5 children; Keith Robert Fairbank, Jr. of Provo, Utah; Joseph Dodd Fairbank(Emily) of Provo, Utah; Alice Fairbank Goldfarb of Oakland, California; William Fairbank Goldfarb of Gill, Massachusetts; and Grace Fairbank Goldfarb of West Harlem, New York; his cousins, nieces, nephews and all those who were treated like part of the family. He is also survived by his second wife, Elizabeth Smith Lenna whom he married November 27, 2002. A memorial gathering will be held at a future date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Audubon Society of Jamestown, 1600 Riverside Road, Jamestown 14701 or the Roger Tory Peterson Institute, 311 Curtis Street, Jamestown 14701.