Shirley Fries Lair

Hospital where she had been the hospital gift shop manager years earlier. She was 85.

Mrs. Lair was born on May 27, 1928, the daughter of John and Daisy Jordan Fries in

Norfolk, Virginia. She graduated from Phillipsburg High School in New Jersey and

from Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia with a degree in journalism. She and

her college sweetheart, John Lair, met and worked on the college yearbook together. They

married and following graduation, owned and worked together on newspapers in Ohio, Kentucky, West

Virginia. and finally moved to Shenandoah, Virginia where they lived their

dream, publishing a weekly newspaper together at night while both taught school during

the day. Shirley was a devoted wife and partner of the late John Lair for nearly 60 years.

In the l960's the Lairs were brought to Lynchburg by the Lynchburg News, where John became

Business Editor. In the 1970's the two created and published a prizewinning

magazine named Lynchburg Magazine which they published for over a decade. Shirley was an active

member of National Pen Women and Bethlehem Lutheran Church for many years. She also worked in radio

as an advertising copywriter, managed the gift shops of Virginia Baptist Hospital and Point of Honor,

taught at Altavista and Brookville High Schools and was a Welcome Wagon Lady, all activities where she

immensely enjoyed meeting people.

Mrs. Lair is survived by her two sons: Lt. Col. USAF John Robert Lair Jr.(Ret.) and his

wife Denise of Norman, Oklahoma and James Lair and his wife Paula of Lynchburg.

They have four daughters: Rebecca, Emily, Rachel, and Julianna, all of Lynchburg.

On Monday, November 4th there will be a visitation beginning at 12 pm at Tree of Life

Church on Greenview Dr. It will be followed at 1 pm by a service led by Pastor J. Mike Dodson.

Interment will follow at Holy Land Cemetery in Bedford.