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Tommy Fairchild

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#21 ·
hated to hear this.... it seems like a bunch of us old ones are passing on. Had several very good memories of time spent with Tommy.....RIP
 
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#22 ·
I remember being at Bob Pepper's farm out by Jigg's pond in 1998 when the crew pulled up from the airport. Tommy was the MN judge from Region 2 and Julie Cairnes was the Region 4 judge. They stepped out of their respective cars and it was instantly clear that they were from completely other planets. It finally boiled down to a long heart to heart from Russ Reavis to the effect that "either you find a way to get along or it's back to the airport". They ended up finding a lot of mutual ground and spent the week playing practical jokes on each other.
That rule in the AKC book about "can't throw a mark while the dog is on the way to retrieve a mark? Officially known as the Tommy Fairchild rule.

He was an onery old fart but I liked him and will miss him.

RIP Tommy- hope the whiskey is free and the birds always flying.

Steve Elliott
 
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#23 · (Edited)
There will be a funeral for Tommy Fairchild at Daves-Culbertson Funeral Home located at 401 N. Jackson Street in Tullahoma, TN Wednesday 1/28/15. Visitation will be from 9-11am, and the service will immediately follow at 11:00am. He will be buried in Hattiesburg, MS next to his parents.

No flowers. Donations can be made in Tommy's memory to either the Vanderbilt Diabetes and Research Center or the Bird Dog Foundation Inc.
 
#25 ·
I didn't know Tommy, but ran under him at least once. My condolences to his family and friends.
 
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#26 ·
I will miss Tommy. I enjoyed times at the flyer station talking about dogs, field trials,and life in general. He welcomed me as a newcomer to field trials and I always liked to see his big old truck with the old dog box pull up. Even with failing health Tommy wanted to help at trials and just recently judged even though it must have been hard for him. My condolences to friends and family.
 
#27 ·
Hate to hear of Tommy's passing. His friends and family are in our thoughts and prayers. I ran Wild Bill in his last derby before aging out under Tommy judging. He was truly a great guy and his loss is a loss to the retriever hunt test and field trial communities.
 
#28 ·
I was only a casual acquaintance but was that for many years. Tommy was a special person. There was no greater a defender of our dogs and what they do. Condolences.
 
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#29 ·
I'm very saddened to hear this. I so enjoyed trialing with Tommy. I'm going to miss a trial buddy.. this hurts a lot. I so enjoyed Tommy. I enjoyed watching him and Carya work together, as well. A true bond. He loved his dog/s and had a great love and bond. I'm sure Chris Ledford and clients are taking this hard. RIP buddy.. I'll truly miss you! My condolences to his family.

Barb
 
#30 ·
Ah Tommy ! Yesterday I was too scrambled to pen anything
Marty and I set together for coffee and told Tommy stories for 3 cups.
Yep one of kind with a heart to big to say no

Did you guys know that Tommy finished a flatcoat at the very first Master National
So many thoughts
Thank you Tommy for being one of a kind
Dk & Marty
 
#31 ·
Tommy never met a stranger. The word "no" was not in his vocabulary. No surprise that many have Tommy stories involving a flyer station. When he wasn't judging, he always helped. Many of us loaded flyers for Tommy to shoot. I will miss my friend! Condolences to his loved ones.
 
#33 ·
Like Dave, I've struggled for a couple of days about what to say. Everyone will miss Tommy, but I have to believe those of us from MTARC will miss him the most. He always volunteered to help - was at every Hunt Test we held that I can remember in the last 10 years - has been on our board for years. And no one was more disappointed in themselves for missing a flyer than Tommy. Gosh, the stories he could tell. I could sit and listen to him for hours. Someone - I don't remember who it was - told me at one of our hunt tests that Tommy was her teacher in high school, and talked about how all the girls had massive crushes on him. Lord, did his face ever turn red when I asked him about it!!!! "Oh me" he said as he ducked and shook his head.... one of my sweetest memories of Mr. Tommy.

I am so VERY glad that our club decided last year to create a new club award - the Tommy Fairchild award - and we will present that trophy to a club member every year. A wonderful opportunity to keep his memory alive. More than anything, I'm most proud that Tommy was there when we announced the new club award and presented it for the first time. I'm glad he knew how much he meant to us. So many times we do things like that after our loved ones are gone.

RIP Tommy - I'm sure gonna miss you.
 
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#34 · (Edited)
This news choked me up. I was lucky enough to spend time with Tommy a number of times. I shot with Tommy at the very first trial I worked at in 2002 and worked or shot along side him quite a few times including just last fall. The man knew dogs and set up tough but fair tests as a judge that were never set up to trick dogs. Last spring, he said if not for his dogs, he wouldn't be on earth. I told Tommy the retriever world is a lot better with him in it. It was a moment that had both of us quiet for a bit. The retriever world has lost both a colorful character and someone who has given more of his time to retrievers than anyone I know. You will be greatly missed, Tommy.
 
#35 ·
The 1998 Master Nat., was where I first met Tommy, what a character. Didn't agree with him on everything,after spending two weeks together, we knew each other a lot better, but we had a good time, lots of laughs, (little Whiskey). R.I.P. Tommy ,you will be missed.

Bill C.
 
#39 ·
Yes, thank you so much for sharing Sherie. I only met Tommie a few times at Ledford's training property in GA and then again at the Middle Tenn hunt test in 2014 where he judged Master. He was one in a million! I enjoyed my brief talks with him.
 
#40 ·
I only met Tommy once at a F/T, it only took a couple of minutes and you swear we were best buddies. one of the finest.
 
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