William M. Fairley, 93, of Gaithersburg, Maryland, passed away Sunday, October 9, 2022. He was born October 13, 1928, in Millinocket, Maine to the late Eugene H. and Audrey Ellen (Daley) Fairley. Bill was educated in the public school system and worked summers at the local Great Northern Paper Mill. He attended Colby College in Waterville, Maine. He continued his studies at the University of Maine, (Orono), in his chosen field of geology where he received a Master of Science Degree. He was employed by the Army Map Service in 1951 and was drafted into the U.S. Marine Corps. During the Korean Conflict after boot camp and two service schools, he served for 18 months in an Intelligence Office as a cartographic draftsman.
At intervals between 1955 and 1958 he worked for the Georgia Marble Co. in Georgia (marble deposits) and in Virginia (soapstone deposits). Using the G.I bill, he received his PhD in Geology from The Johns Hopkins University in 1962. Bill taught Geology at the The University of Notre Dame in South Bend Indiana for 33 years and retired in 1991.
On June 13, 1960, Bill married Dolores Theresa (Knaus) who preceded him in death shortly after their 50th wedding anniversary. They have two daughters, Theresa (Walter) McElroy of Foster City, California and Catherine (Keith) Edwards of Gaithersburg, Maryland; grand children Allison, Meredith, Walter IV, Jacqueline, Erin, John Joseph. His first grandchild, Vincent, and his brother Eugene and sister Audrey preceded him in death. He also leaves behind three generations of nieces and nephews and many dear relatives and friends.
Bill and Dolores enjoyed traveling with Elderhostel and other tours to Europe and the Middle East. Bill lived in South Bend, Indiana until Dolores died in 2010, and then moved to Asbury Methodist Village Retirement Community in Gaithersburg, Maryland, to be closer to family. At a young age, Bill learned to play a saxophone and played in the Colby College band, collected postage stamps and postcards, volunteered at Christ the King Church and St. Joe County Right to Life, played bridge in several groups with Dolores and was the Trott building historian for many years at Asbury. After moving to Asbury, Bill enjoyed treating his children and grandchildren to trips and trying to teach them about theology, history and rocks.
A Mass and celebration of life will be celebrated at Asbury Methodist Village in November. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at Christ the King Church this summer. Memorial donations may be made to the Millinocket Historical Society, P.O. Box 11, Millinocket, ME. 04462 or St. Joe County Right to Life, 2004 Ironwood Circle, South Bend, IN. 46635