Herbert Dean Lair

Herbert Dean Lair, former spy, serial entrepreneur, and late-in-life social media influencer died at 81 on September 17, 2025.

Herb was born on February 20, 1944, to Joe Herbert Lair and Irene Dees Lair in Harrison and attended Valley Springs High School, helping them to a state basketball championship in 1961. Herb survived his parents and his brother, Grandle Gene Lair.

Herb became a life-long, long-suffering Razorbacks fan while getting his B.S. and M.S. in mathematics at the University of Arkansas. Herb married his high school sweetheart, Sandra Kay Tennyson, and they moved to Washington D.C., where they both worked for the Central Intelligence Agency during the Vietnam War.

Herb had two children, Craig Lair and Christy Lair of Little Rock, Arkansas. Herb always had a special place in his heart for Christy, and he sacrificed and cared for her throughout his life.

Craig and his wife Wendy had Herb's two grandchildren, Cooper Larkin Lair and Sophie Caroline Lair. Herb was proud of both, even adopting the Blue Devils as his second-favorite team in honor of his two grandchildren both attending Duke.

Following the CIA and a stint working for oil companies, Herb returned to his family business in Bellefonte, Arkansas, selling televisions, appliances, and later, computers. Herb created a software company for cable television companies, Computer Utilities of the Ozarks. From Harrison, Arkansas, he traveled to Argentina, Brazil, India, China and many other places around the globe for installations. Herb was inducted into the Arkansas Academy of Computing in 2021.

Herb always spoke his mind, regularly producing letters to the editor fighting for himself, the reputation of his hometown, Harrison, and other Parkinson's disease sufferers. He disliked most politicians, national and local, of all political affiliations.

Herb enjoyed solving the world's problems with his dear friends in his supper club and his McDonald's coffee crew. Herb was a member for years of Harrison Kiwanis, Bellefonte Church of Christ, Northside Church of Christ, and, after moving to Little Rock, Chenal Valley Church.

Even into his eighties, Herb was a relentless social media user and regularly promoted and produced his podcast, Finding My Happy Place, until his final days.

Memorials may be made to The Michael J. Fox Foundation. The family will host a visitation at Chenal Valley Church in Little Rock on Saturday, September 20th, from 4 to 6 p.m. and on Sunday, September 21st, at Northside Church of Christ in Harrison from 1 to 3 p.m.