Dr. Hilton McKay Fairchild
Funeral services for Dr. Hilton McKay Fairchild will be held Wednesday, January 26, 2022 at 1 p.m. from Sandtown United Methodist Church with Rev. Kim Poe and Rev. Hal Hall officiating. Burial will follow in Sandtown United Methodist Church Cemetery. Visitation will be held Tuesday, January 25, 2022 from 5 until 9 p.m. from McClain-Hays Funeral Home and Wednesday, January 26, 2022 from 11 a.m. until departure.
Dr. Fairchild, 87, of Philadelphia, died Friday, January 21, 2022 at his home with his wife, Paulette, granddaughter Josselyn and friend at his bedside.
Dr. Fairchild was born at McAfee Lumber Camp, Carthage, MS. He moved to South Jackson, Ms with his parents at age 4. He attended Byram Elementary School then George Elementary School. He attended Enochs Junior High School and Central High School in Jackson, MS and graduated in 1953.
After graduating high school, he entered Mississippi College that summer and graduated in 1956 with triple major in Chemistry, Zoology and Physics. After graduating from Mississippi College, he entered University of Mississippi Medical School in 1956 (this was the second medical school class after it was moved from Oxford, MS). It was during medical school, working alongside Dr. Guyton, the world renowned author of medical physiology book, that he invented the blood flow meter. Upon completion of medical school and one year Family Practice Residency, he began his medical practice in Public Health in Grenada, MS. It was during this tenure, the polio vaccine was developed and made available. He administered the vaccine on sugar cubes and developed a plan to be implemented throughout the state with temporary clinics in school gymnasiums. His duties during this time included dairy barn inspections, milk preparation and dairy preventive medicine. In 1958, he moved to Jackson, MS and began a practice in family medicine and was on staff at Baptist Hospital, St. Dominic’s and Hinds General Hospital. In 1971, he moved his family to Madden, MS where he practiced in The Madden Clinic and Thaggard Hospital. In 1976, he became the medical director of East Central Mississippi Health Care, being the first doctor to work with nurse practitioners. In 1982, he moved to Sardis, Mississippi and along with family practice he delivered many babies. As the circle of life would have it, in 1992, he moved back to Madden, Ms but, unfortunately, Thaggard Hospital closed in November of that year. So in 1993, he began practice at Sebastopol Clinic and Laird Hospital. In 1994, he started family practice with Rush Hospital in Philadelphia, MS at this time, he participated in building the red roof clinic at Williamsville. After a few years with Rush Hospital System, he changed his practice to Neshoba County General Hospital and Nursing Home. He practiced here until his retirement in 2015 at the ripe age of 80.
Dr. Fairchild loved practicing medicine and loved people. “To know him was to love him and he loved you back BIG!” He was always lending some kind of hand to people around him that was in need, whether it was an act of kindness or financial need. His hobbies were traveling, especially in his RV, Nascar, Ole Miss Rebels and reading.
Survivors are his wife, Paulette Fairchild, of Philadelphia; children, Susan Gavronski (Tim) of Palm Coast, FL., Kathy Bliss (Chip) of Hartford, CT, Allison Fairchild of Omaha, NE., Chad Cannon of Conway, AR., Dr. Derek Cannon (Dr. Heather) of Philadelphia, MS., and Anka Smith (Spencer) of Prairieville, LA; grandchildren, Lucas Cannon, Josselyn Cannon, Cannon Smith, Bella Cannon and Jon David Cannon; sister, Pat Oglesby (Bob); brother-in-law, Troy Branning (Katherine); one niece and one nephew.
Dr. Fairchild was preceded in death by his parents, Hilton Reese Fairchild and Esma Lucille Fairchild; niece, Robin Oglesby and sister-in-law, Retha Thrash.
Pallbearers are Chad Cannon, Derek Cannon, Spencer Smith, Tim Gavronski, Chip Bliss and Troy Branning.
In lieu of Flowers, the family requests memorials be made to Neshoba County General Hospital and Nursing Home.