Jane E. Fairchild

1944 - 2022

Jane E. (Driskell) Fairchild

Wakefield, RI — Jane Driskell Fairchild (78) of Wakefield, RI, longtime resident of Hopkinton NH & Concord NH, passed quietly in her sleep at the Brookdale South Bay Living Community under the care of Hope Health Hospice on May 29, 2022.

She is survived by her devoted husband, F. Peter Fairchild, her loving children, J. Craig Slaughter and Samantha ("Mandy" Slaughter/Fairchild) Fraser, son-in-law Mark Fraser, stepsons Jason and wife Sarah, Mark and Todd and her sister Judith Brown. She is Nana to six grandchildren, Dennis and his wife Jaclyn, Curtis, Morgan, Rylan, Noah, Naomi and a beautiful great-granddaughter, Emma.

Jane was born in Chicago, IL, daughter of Dorothy (Foster) and John Driskell and raised in Springfield, IL. After short stops in Connecticut and Massachusetts, she lived most of her adult life in New Hampshire, a place she grew to love. She followed her grandmother's advice to become an educated woman and earned her Registered Nursing degree from NHTI, a BS in Biochemistry with honors from UNH, a Masters' in Education from Cambridge College and a Juris Doctorate from Boston University. Her career included positions as an RN, executive positions with the American Lung Association of Massachusetts, the NH Department of Health and Human Services, her own private practice as a Nurse Attorney and corporate Counsel in the Healthcare industry.

Jane was a true pioneer, ahead of her time in many ways. As a single mom, before it was common, she worked diligently to better her life and those of her children. Known by some of her friends as the "never give up lady", she was one of the first enrolled in a new State program that helped her enroll in school tuition-free. When she couldn't find suitable childcare for her children, she helped establish the Merrimack Valley Day Care Service. She became a summer camp nurse at Camp Pinnacle so her children could enjoy the wilderness & recreation at a reduced rate. She went back to school at the UNH and completed a bachelor's degree in Biochemistry. It was there that she met her future husband, Peter, and their blended family grew to five children.

Jane loved to be involved in her community. She was an activist from the 60's &70's and was recently involved with the Kent Street Coalition in Concord, NH. With a house in Moultonborough, NH, she helped revitalize the Lake Kanasatka Watershed Association to assure the vitality of the lake she loved. She was an active member of the New Horizons Band of the Lakes Region where she played the flute. She volunteered as a tutor for Second Start and helped immigrants on their path to becoming thriving new Americans. She also wrote and published her memoir; The Last Laugh: Making Sense of It All.

A Memorial Service and burial will be held at Blossom Hill Cemetery in Concord, NH on Saturday, September 24, 2022 at 3 pm. If Jane touched your life and you are inspired to do something to honor her, we encourage you to donate to either the Merrimack Valley Day Care Services or the Second Start organization, where she volunteered. Both are in Concord, NH