Eugene Fairfax

Seaman Recruit to Rear Admiral - U.S. NavyGene Fairfax died Friday, April 5, 2013 in Albuquerque. He was born on November 6, 1916 in Naples, UT. He attended grades 1-5 in Price, UT; grades 6-7 in Provo, UT; and grades 8-11 in Salt Lake City. He was president of the debate club, and quarterback and captain of the "A" football team in the fall of 1933 and graduated from West High in January of 1934. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in March of 1934 and after boot camp, his military career took off. His first assignment was on the U.S.S. Nevada. In 1935 he was accepted to the Naval Academy, where he became captain of the boxing team in 1939. He served on the U.S.S. Mississippi; and he attended flight training in Pensacola, FL. There, he met and married Juliana Daniels in November of 1941. Gene became the Senior Aviator on the U.S.S. Tennessee; the Executive Officer of Fighting Squadron 11 (VF-11); and the Commanding Officer VF-11 on the U.S.S. Hornet flying F6F Hellcats. During that time, he gained 203 combat hours, 58 carrier landings and was credited with downing four Japanese aircraft. He attended Naval War College-Army Guided Missile School, and became an Executive Officer of the Anti-Submarine Training Squadron. He then became a Navigator on the U.S.S. Mindoro, an escort carrier. Gene attended Staff Naval War College, and was promoted to the Night and All-Weather Attack Squadron 33 (VC-33). He was a Navigator and later an Operation's Officer on the U.S.S. Forrestal; he became the head of the Air Launched Guided Missiles Office of the Chief of Naval Operations; he was a Commanding Officer on the U.S.S. Passumpsic, a fleet oiler; and Commanding Officer on the U.S.S. Ticonderoga, an aircraft carrier. He was promoted to Chief of Staff of Carrier Division 1, the Staff Weapons Systems Evaluation Group in the Department of Defense. He became a Navy Deputy, Joint Task Force 2 and in 1966, was promoted to Rear Admiral. He became Commander of Anti-Submarine Warfare Group 5 on the U.S.S. Hornet, and Commander of the Alaskan Sea Frontier. In his last active duty tour he became the Deputy Naval Inspector General of the United States. Gene and Juliana had five children, and because of Gene's service, the family moved from coast to coast. Juliana once said that she had moved 28 times in 30 years; therefore, after Gene retired in February of 1972, they moved to Albuquerque, NM and never moved again. Juliana died in March of 2000, where she was surrounded by all her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Gene now has 12 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren. The children are: Michele Pettyjohn married to Bob from Oak Harbor, WA with three children and six grandchildren, Charlotte Chambliss married to Dick from Jacksonville, FL with two children, Jean Marie Fairfax from Albuquerque, NM with three children and eight grandchildren, Eugene Fairfax, Jr. married to Edna from San Antonio, TX with four children and one grandchild and Michael Fairfax from Albuquerque. Graveside Services will be held Friday, July 12, 2013, 1:30 p.m., at Santa Fe National Cemetery, Santa Fe, NM.