Donald M. "Scotty" Fairbairn, Sr.

Donald M. (“Scotty”) Fairbairn, Sr., died peacefully at home, surrounded by his family, in Greenville, SC, on October 23, 2025. He is survived by his widow, Frances Fairbairn, by two siblings—Kenneth Cruikshank (Martha) and Marilyn Jennings (Michael)—by three children—Donald Fairbairn, Jr. (Jennifer), Katherine Dobrenen (Mitchell), and Mary Fairbairn—and by five grandchildren.

Scotty was born on September 9, 1941, in South Bend Indiana, the son of Gordon Fairbairn and Sheila Moore Fairbairn Alford. He and his siblings spent most of their childhood in middle Tennessee, and he graduated from DeKalb County High School in 1959. In preparation for a career as a mathematics educator, he attended George Peabody College for Teachers in Nashville (now part of Vanderbilt University), from which he received bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. degrees. While an undergraduate at Peabody, he met the love of his life, fellow mathematician Frances Ann Reed. They married on June 2, 1962, and shared more than 63 years together.

Scotty’s career as a mathematics educator at high school and college level included service to the United States Navy and took him and Frances to the states of Rhode Island, California, Maryland, Colorado, and South Carolina, as well as their native Tennessee. The highlights of his career were 15-year stints each at Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville and Clemson University. He retired in 2012 after fifty years of service.

Scotty was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather, as well as a faithful member of churches in the various cities in which he lived. In addition to his career, he was dogged in lifelong pursuit of his two great avocations: golf (at which he sported a +1 handicap in his prime), and bridge (at which he was a life master). He was much loved by his family and will be greatly missed.

The family will celebrate his life at a memorial service in middle Tennessee later in the year.

In Lieu of flowers, donations can be made to

Via Health Partners

P.O. Box 470408

Charlotte NC 28247

Donatehospice.org

In loving memory of Scotty, whose spirit touched the lives of many, we invite family and friends to celebrate his memory through a heartfelt Tribute Tune entitled "Sixty-Three Years and a Handful of Aces." To honor Scotty's memory and to experience the beauty of this tribute, please click here, “Sixty-Three Years and a Handful of Aces” to listen.