William Leonard Fair, M.D.

William Leonard Fair, M.D William Leonard Fair, M.D., age 93, a resident of Chillicothe, Missouri, passed away on Sunday, August 5, 2018, at his residence. He was born November 3, 1924 in Mooresville, Missouri, to William Richard "Billy" Fair and Hazel Evelyn (Boyd) Fair. He was married to Billie Norma Savage on June 13, 1948, at the First Christian Church in Chillicothe Missouri. Dr. Fair practiced medicine in Chillicothe for 35 years beginning in 1953 taking care of many families for more than two generations delivering children and grandchildren. He was a member of the Academy of Family Practice. His practice included obstetrics, surgery, house calls and hospital rounds; he was there for his patients when they needed him. His wife, Billie, supported him in his work and he always said it was Billie who made it possible for him to devote so much of his life to his practice. For the majority of the years he practiced, he relied on and appreciated the dedication of his office nurse, Louise Huston. In 1987 he wrote to his patients that he was retiring and told them "Caring for my patients has been a great source of satisfaction and pleasure these past years."   Following the death of his mother in 1931, Leonard and his brother Leland went to live with their aunt and uncle Mable (Boyd) and Gilbert F. Reynolds on their farm outside of Mooresville, Missouri where they lived until moving to Chillicothe in 1937. He graduated from Chillicothe High School in 1942. Leonard was valedictorian of his class, but he also found time to letter in football, wrestling, basketball, and track. He played baseball on the Chillicothe American Legion Baseball team nicknamed "Terrors" and in 1941 the team finished second in Missouri State Legion Play. During World War II he served for almost three years in the U.S. Army with the 96th Infantry Battalion in the Philippines and Okinawa. He was 18 years old when he began his service and became a sergeant during his tour. He received the Purple Heart and Bronze Star. Leonard and Billie Savage were classmates at Chillicothe High School graduating in 1942. After they both had finished serving in the U.S. Army and were enrolled at the University of Missouri they began dating and were married in 1948. Following graduation from the University of Missouri in 1949, they moved to Durham, N.C., where Leonard finished his medical studies at Duke University. Then they moved to Kansas City where he completed a residency at the University of Kansas. In 1953, they returned home to Chillicothe with three children (soon to be four) to practice medicine and to build a life in the community they valued so much. Following his retirement in 1987, he continued to keep abreast of medical developments and helped start a health ministry for senior citizens. He and Billie became involved in many community causes: they tutored children, worked with Operation Help, and helped organize the Grand River Audubon Chapter. They also travelled, took many walks, and watched birds together. In 2000, Dr. Fair received the Bill Hoyt Distinguished Service Award recognizing his commitment and service to his community. On his 85th birthday, he played his first and only game of golf. He played with his friend, Dave Macoubrie, who held him to the promise he had made many years ago that he'd take up golf when he turned 85. He is survived by his wife, Billie, of the home; his brother, Paul Fair of New Iberia, LA; daughter, Susan Fair of Chillicothe; son, Steven Fair and wife Ginnie Gardner of Columbia; daughter, Lynn Fair and husband Frank Fillo of Moberly; granddaughter, Adrienne Fair and husband Blaise Bourdais of San Francisco; grandson, Clayton Fair and wife Kerri (Wages) Fair of St. Louis; and four great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his son, Michael Leonard Fair, his brother, Leland B. Fair, and his son-in-law, Jerome J. Caricchio. Funeral services will be held at the United Methodist Church, Chillicothe, Missouri, on Thursday, August 9, 2018, at 10:30 a.m. There is no scheduled visitation. Friends may call at the Lindley Funeral Home, Chillicothe, Missouri, on Wednesday, August 8, 2018, from 12 noon until 8:00 p.m. Burial will be held at Edgewood Cemetery, Chillicothe, Missouri. Memorial contributions may be made to the Dr. William Leonard Fair Scholarship Fund, which was created to assist a promising Chillicothe high school student with an interest in medicine to start their college career each year, and may be left at or mailed to Lindley Funeral Home, P.O. Box 47, Chillicothe, Missouri 64601. Online condolences may be made at www.lindleyfuneralhomes.com . Arrangements are under the direction of Lindley Funeral Home, Chillicothe, Missouri.