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Jack Raymond "Buddha" Fairbanks

Jack Raymond "Buddha" Fairbanks

1925 - 2014

Jack "Buddha" Raymond Fairbanks, February 8, 1925 - October 25, 2014. Jack passed away unexpectedly at Sanford Bemidji Medical Center.

A celebration of his life will be held on Wednesday, October 29 at 11 AM at St. Philip's Catholic Church, Bemidji, MN, followed by military honors and graveside services at the Fairbanks Cemetery at Mission Corner. Visitation will be held on Tuesday, October 28, 2014 from 5 to 7 PM with a prayer service at 6:30 PM at Olson-Schwartz Funeral Home. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church.

Jack was born at home to Elizabeth Budreau and Robert Fairbanks in Ten Lakes Township of Beltrami County. As a child, he was raised by his grandmother, Josie Hutchinson Fairbanks, at Mission Corner and also attended Saint Mary's Mission School on the Red Lake Reservation. He was sent to Flandreau Indian School in South Dakota where he spent one day before hitchhiking and train hopping back to Cass Lake. Due to his determination, his grandma let him attend Cass Lake High School where he graduated as a star basketball and baseball player.

Jack proudly served in the US Navy in the South Pacific during WWII. He met his beloved, Jacqueline Joan Fairbanks, on a street car in Minneapolis. They married in 1952 and celebrated 62 years together on June 7, 2014. Early in their marriage they moved to northern Minnesota, where he worked in Forestry building roads on several reservations. He valued education and graduated as one of Bemidji State College's first American Indian graduates with a business degree in 1965. His strength was providing a home and life for his wife and children such that they were also successful in higher education.

Jack was an exemplary employee of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, where he worked for 30 years. His career began as a Forestry Aid and retired as a Division Chief and included many commendations. He was a member of the Veteran of Foreign Wars, Toastmasters, and Knights of Columbus.

Jack was an avid reader who followed current events and politics and he loved country western music. His true passion was sports. His younger years were spent as a talented basketball and baseball player, and later in parenthood, an accomplished baseball coach. Some of his baseball buddies were John Buckanaga Sr., Mel Bisson, "Moke" and "Zonz" Bellanger, and Melbourne "Lars" Larsen. He is renowned for coaching the Bemidji Chiefs to the state amateur baseball championship in 1977. His two older sons were members of the championship team and his youngest son was the batboy. He enjoyed watching a full range of sports and was especially proud to watch his children and grandchildren compete.

Jack Fairbanks had a dry and teasing sense of humor. He was a smart, honest man with firm and fair judgment. He had a special quiet strength and he was well-liked as a soft spoken character and strongly expressed his views with integrity when he needed to. His generosity and honesty were strong attributes. He will be remembered as a "great man," a hard working person, and a caring and supportive husband, brother, father, grandfather, uncle and good friend.

He is survived by his wife, Jacqueline, children Mary (Don Dale), Frank, Barbara, Christine (James) Dickinson, Daniel (Tayra) all of Bemidji, and John, Duluth, MN; sixteen grandchildren, and seven great grandchildren, sister Audrey Larsen, Minneapolis, brother Robert (Lorena) Cook, Bemidji, and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

 

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