Walter Carl Fairley, Jr.

OZARK…Mr. Walter Carl Fairley, Jr. (Sergeant First Class, United States Army, Retired), passed away, Friday, January 23, 2026, in Flowers Hospital. He was 80.

Homegoing services, with full military honors, will be held at 11:30 A.M. Monday, February 2, 2026, the Fuqua Bankston Funeral Home Chapel with Reverend Roosevelt Zanders, Jr. officiating. Burial will be held at 11:00 A.M. (ET) Tuesday, February 3, 2026, at Fort Mitchell National Cemetery, in Fort Mitchell, Alabama. Fuqua Bankston Funeral Home of Ozark is in charge of arrangements. The family will receive friends from 10:30 until 11:30 A.M. Monday at the funeral home.

Mr. Fairley, the son of the late Walter Carl Fairley, Sr. and Georgianna Bell Fairley, was born and raised in Portsmouth, Virginia, where his strong sense of duty and determination first took root. After finishing high school, he chose a path of service and joined the United States Army. He went on to serve two tours in Vietnam, facing challenges most people can only imagine. His courage, loyalty, and commitment to his fellow soldiers were qualities that stayed with him throughout his life. He later retired from the Army after twenty dedicated years of service, carrying with him the pride of having served his country with honor. Upon his retirement, the following was written in his orders: “SFC Fairley is definitely one of the most knowledgeable and professional noncommissioned officers in his MOS in the United States Army. He has a vast working knowledge of all aspects of aviation maintenance and maintenance management. SFC Fairley has added that extra dimension of excellence to instruction at the Army Aviation Center through his thorough research and attention to detail in execution of all assigned tasks. The uniquely high standards of performance and professionalism to which he adheres clearly indicate that he is one of the finest noncommissioned officers the United States Army has produced.

After his military career, he continued working hard and building connections in his community through his job at PEMCO at Napier Field, where he remained until his retirement. He was known as someone who showed up, did his work with integrity, and treated people with respect. He was a hero beyond his family, having saved the life of a coworker who fell off a wing and would have died had he not caught him in midair.

Outside of work, Mr. Fairley found joy in the simple, peaceful moments of life. He loved spending time at Lake Tholocco at Fort Rucker, fishing in the quiet early mornings, smoking his cigar or relaxing by the water. It was one of the places where he felt most at ease. He was also a proud member of the N.R.A. and enjoyed visiting Tri-State Gun Club in Daleville, where he could practice a skill, he valued and spend time doing something he genuinely enjoyed. He was very proud of the fact that his two children graduated from college. Having accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior as a teenager, faith was important in his life.

Mr. Fairley was preceded in death by two sisters, Betty Moody and Beverly Fairley; a niece, Sharon Moody; and a nephew, Tony Moody. Though he has left this earthly life, the memories he created—his stories, his laughter, his resilience, and the love he shared—will continue to live on in the hearts of those who knew him. His life was one of service, strength, and sincerity, and he will be deeply missed.

Surviving relatives include his wife of fifty-eight years, Ada Throckmorton Fairley, Ozark; daughter, Cecilia Singletary (Chris), Newnan, Georgia; his son, Walter C. Fairley, III, Ozark.